Fluff and Fright: A Halloween To Remember
by Sensara
Summary: Crackfic-ish. One more season of running a Halloween-themed park, and Faith and Ammie are off to Vulcan to live their dreams. But will two handsome humans throw their plans to the wind? And what if the humans aren't what they seem? Rated T for safety.
1. The Arrival

_**Disclaimer: We own nothing but the OCs. Just a fun, weird little AU crackfic for Halloween! We had a ton of fun writing this, and I hope you guys enjoy it too!**_

Ammie and Faith turned down the old gravel road. "Are you sure this is it?" Ammie asked looking at the GPS display as she ran her fingers through her long dark hair.

"You see it on the GPS right?" the blond replied leaning closer to the window, "There look the lights. The caretaker just flipped them on."

Ammie leaned back, "I hope we have enough time to unpack before we interview the new people. Who do we have coming in?"

Faith turned the air car into the long winding drive way passing under the now purple illuminated sign, "Nachthaus". "We have a Bob something or other for first aid and medical stuff. Then I don't remember the guy who is supposed to herd the cats that are the actors."

She turned to her friend and grinned, "Just think, one more season, Ammie. Just one more season and we are off to make our dreams come true!"

Ammie slowed the car, then turned and grinned at her friend. "I know, Faith. We're almost there. But let's go out in style, huh?"

They giggled as they got out and unpacked their things, and the caretaker strode out of the house to meet them. "Welcome to Nachthaus Ranch, ladies. You'll be rooming in the boarding house over there." He pointed to a cozy-looking prairie house on the other side of the yard. "You can put your things in the main building. I'm very happy that you've come to give Nachthaus a revitalization, and I assure you, your percentage of the profits will be generous."

"How much?" Faith inquired.

"I'll keep 30 percent for myself, for letting you use the property, but everything else out of total profits is yours."

Faith did a quick calculation in her head and then beamed at Ammie. She waited for the caretaker to mosey off and then followed her friend to the house, "Ammie, if we do well...I think we could work the two months a year here, and then LIVE on vulcan the rest of the year."

Ammie blinked, "Are you sure?"

"Well, we got the spreadsheets, if we can make this place the Halloween season attraction it used to be, then we can!" Faith shouldered her pack a bit better so she could drag her suitcase behind her with a greater ease, "There are three open properties, one in Shir Kahr, one in Gol, and one in Raal...they are modest, but I think we could do one of them."

Ammie shook her head, "It's hard to believe our dream is about to come true."

The pair entered the prairie house, which was as cozy on the inside as it was on the out. There were comfortable chairs, around an already lit fire place. A little back kitten was popping around on the rug chasing it's own shadow, and the smell of warm apple cider was wafting through the house.

"This is...beautiful." Faith said with a content sigh, "Let's pick our rooms and get unpacked, I could go for some of that cider before we get to work."

Ammie handed Faith another cup of cider and joined her at the table, where she was pouring over maps of the ranch and the main building. "Ok, so let's do outdoors first? We planned our route, and we know the best places for putting up props. I was thinking scarecrows with masks in that little clearing we passed. We could hang them from the trees and everything."

"Sounds nice and creepy to me," Faith replied, marking it down on the map. "Where do we want the recording of the wolves?"

"That weird twisted tree near the start. I wish we had a stuffed wolf we could stick near the haystacks. That'd be awesome."

They continued to discuss the outdoor maze and hayride, then turned their attention to the house. "Ok," Ammie said, "we've got twenty volunteers on board for this, but I was thinking we could split them up, and put half in the maze and half in the house. What do you think?"

Faith sipped her cider, "That sounds like a good idea, and just a sec..." she looked through the stack of papers, "Oh, Ammie! We have better than a stuffed wolf, there is a guy who says he wants to play a werewolf!"

They both grinned and marked it down on their papers, "I think we are going to need more dry ice machines," she took her pencil and pointed on Ammie's map.

"Oh, good idea, and those black lights, the ones that flicker, need to go there and there." She marked next to two of the dry ice spots and then one where the werewolf would be.

The caretaker knocked on their door, "Ladies, them two gents for the jobs are here..."

Before the girls could say anything the caretaker opened up the door, practically pushing two men through.

They straightened and looked over the two men, and Ammie privately admitted to herself that they were good-looking men.

"Dr. Morris?" she asked, pulling his file from the stack. "And Mr. Wolonski? Private practitioner and theater manager, respectively, I presume."

"Indeed," the shorter one said, and Ammie frowned in confusion when the taller one replied right afterward with "that's right."

"Ok," she said, holding out her hand. "I'm Amethyst Atwood, and this is my partner in crime and best friend forever, Faith Cloverleaf. You can call me Ammie."

The shorter man hesitated for a moment before clasping her hand, and his warm, strong grip made her raise an eyebrow. "Dr. Bob Morris. You can call me Bob, Ammie."

"Hello, Bob. Welcome to the team!"

Faith shook hands with Mr. Wolonski, and she blinked at the way his blue-gray eyes seemed to pierce her. He looked as if he was smirking and had been since the day he was born, but the moment was broken when Ammie spoke again.

"Would either of you like some cider? It's really good. The caretaker made it for us."

"Bob" looked to his friend, who was still smirking, he had to think how a human would answer this, "Umm, sure. That's sounds tasty." Bob answered, and then nudged his companion.

"I would love some of that cider." Greg answered, and then put a grin on.

Ammie and Faith eyed each other for a moment and then Faith pointed at the chairs, "Go ahead and have a seat then, while Ammie and I fix some cider, and I think there are some cookies down there too."

The moment the girls were down the hall Bob looked at Greg, "This is not going to work, we are not convincing humans. Those females already suspect something I am sure of it."

Greg looked at his companion, "You have no logical evidence to support that, Strom." he closed his eyes, "Bob. Human females are excitable, we are aesthetically pleasing to look at even in this...reduced appearance. No doubt that is what you are seeing."

"You assume too much, Solok," "Bob" replied smoothly. "We have to be more convincing."

The ladies returned, and Ammie handed Bob a cup of cider. He blinked and sniffed at the liquid, then closed his eyes. "Thank you very much, Ms. Ammie. This smells wonderful."

He threw his companion a look, but Solok had already drained his cup. "That is...very delicious, thank you, ladies."

"Cookies?" Faith asked. "Pumpkin spice. They'll go well with the cider. And don't be shy. We've got plenty of food, and plenty of cider."

They both tentatively took a cookie, and Strom privately winced at the prospect of having to eat with his hands. But the girls also took a cookie for themselves and started eating, and Solok, he admitted, was doing well, not hesitating to imitate Faith and Ammie.

"Shall we get down to business, then?" Ms. Atwood said after they had all eaten two cookies each. "Firstly, we definitely don't want anyone to sue us, so we've got forms ready for people to sign at the gate. But in case people do get hurt, doctor, you'll need to be on the ball with first aid, and if necessary, we'll send any injured to the local hospital. Pray it doesn't come to that. However, we shouldn't be held accountable for anything because you, Mr. Wolonski, will make sure the actors understand the rules of the ranch. Are we understood, gentlemen? Are you sure you can handle this? It could get crazy."

Faith cleared her throat, nudging Ammie, whose eyes widened, "Wow." Ammie said, "These are some pretty impressive credentials, Bob. I never thought our little Halloween theme park would score a doctor who graduated Suma cum lauda from..." she raised her eyebrows, "Harvard medical school."

Strom inwardly winced, he had told Solok that was too much for the cover they needed, but Solok would not be dissuaded saying they needed to be impressive to get these jobs it was imperative to the mission. He glanced at Solok who was now sucking icing off his fingers, repressing the hope that Solok would choke (possibly to death) on some icing and distract everyone from his over priced degree. But there was no such fortune, no choking, so Strom shrugged, but then Solok spoke.

"I think we can handle this. Bob over there is too shy to get a big job, and I'm into this Halloween season thing. If you T'...ladies will hire us and tell us about the benefits, we are anxious to get to work."

"Well, you're hired, boys. Anyone from Harvard would probably have a thorough understanding of malpractice and legal battles, so consider yourselves hired. Mr. Wolonski, here's a list of the volunteers. Please acquaint yourselves with it, all right?"

They nodded and left the house, and Ammie turned to Faith. "What's a guy from Harvard doing here in the middle of Nowhere, Ohio?"

Faith shrugged. "Well, I'm sure he's a good doctor. He seemed really shy too...do you have the forms?"

"Yeah, but now that we've got that out of the way, let's get settled first, ok?"

…

Ammie pinned the last of the posters into the wall, then stepped off the kitchen chair and stood back to appreciate the effect. The gold and purple IDIC looked very nice above her bed, and prints of paintings depicting Vulcans in meditation were plastered over the other walls in her room. The place was small, but definitely servicable, and she pulled up the forms on her PADD and sent them to Faith for revision.

"Hey, nice posters!"

Ammie turned and looked at Faith, who was leaning in the doorway, gazing appreciatively at the pictures. "Thanks! My ex-boyfriend thought I was a freak for having all these. Which is why he's no longer my boyfriend."

Faith looked over the forms pointing back over her shoulder, "It looks like we have the same decorator, but..." she grinned, "I have an actual poster of Sarek at the signing of the treaty of Bable. Made from the original press shot."

"Oh I bet that cost a few credits." Ammie said as she passed Faith heading to look at it.

Faith turned around, "Yeah, it did but totally worth every one. I hope to get it signed when we are on vulcan." She handed Ammie back the padd, "Everything is in order, and the cook at the little resteraunt has things in hand too. We are waiting on some supplies, and the decorating team, but other than that...we are good to go." Faith plopped herself on her bed, "And don't get drool on Sarek will you." she teased.

"He looks so...elegant, but that jewelry...WOW...just...wow..."

"Still, you've got to hand it to a man who can rock that much jewelry and still look sexy."

"Amen, sister," Ammie agreed, flopping onto the foot of Faith's bed. "So...thoughts on our new teammembers?"

"That Greg guy is actually kind of cute...I think he'd make a sexy Vulcan."

Ammie laughed. "True! He definitely has the voice of one. I mean, how many Vulcan men have you heard on recording that _don't_ have sexy voices? Both of them have nice voices, to tell the truth..."

Strom was setting up the surveillance equipment in his room when Solok entered. He shut the door, "Is it ready yet?"

Strom looked up at him, "It will be in a moment. I am just running a last test. Since there are so few people here I have pointed it in the direction of our new employers rooms, downstairs."

Solok nodded, "Very well. It was a fortunate event that we arrived before the rest of the staff. No one will suspect us."

Strom gave him an incredulous look, "They will if you lick your fingers as you did while eating those cookies."

"You were about to use a napkin to pick them up, Strom, how would you explain that?"

Strom shrugged, "Humans have an affliction called germaphobia. I wold explain..."

"Remember what Letant and Sarek said, the best lie is the one not told. You need to improve your acting skills." Solok said giving Strom an imperial look.

Strom turned, "I think I can hear the females downstairs." he flipped the switch so Solok could hear too.

Solok blinked as he heard his human name mentioned. "_I think Greg could totally work the upswept brows, you know? One of the things I've noted about Vulcans, especially Vulcans with lighter eyes...they look at you, and it's just...shocking. You can feel your heart thundering if they stare at you right. And Greg has the eyes to make that work._"

Ammie mumbled something in agreement. "_Yeah, and so does Bob..._" The woman sighed, and they heard shuffling noises. "_I wish they were Vulcan...or that we had Vulcans on our staff._"

"_They wouldn't understand Halloween...an illogical holiday exalting the emotions of fear and excitement far past acceptable levels, even for humans,_" Faith said in a lofty accent. Strom swallowed thickly.

"_You know...I wonder where Greg and Bob would come from if they were Vulcan...Greg seems kind of Shi'Kahrian, but his accent...not so much. What do you think?_"

Faith laid back on the bed, "Hm, I think Bob would come from Raal or around there. Everything we've read indicates that Raalian Vulcans tend toward shyness, and are even more reserved than a normal Vulcan. So, given the way he moves and how he sounds, the way his mouth moves, I'm thinking Raal." Faith grinned, "But since he's human, I think he's from Pennsylvania and he's just shy."

Ammie giggled, "Yeah, no one here for us, our place is on Vulcan. Though..."

Faith grinned, "I know you think Bob is cute it's written all over your blushing face. The soothsayer did say you'd end up with a doctor."

"You know I don't believe in that."

"True, but...it's still funny."

Solok smirked and glanced over at Strom. "You see? I was correct in saying they are excitable, and that they find us attractive."

"They find _me_ attractive. They said you have surprising eyes. That could mean anything."

"_And Greg...Is is just me, or does his voice come straight out of Gol? The clipped nature of it, the slight snootiness...not nearly as snooty as someone from the capital, but still..._"

"_Yeah, I can see what you mean. Well, I think that's enough daydreaming for one day. We need to get back to work_."

Ammie stood and helped faith off the bed, "Did you make arrangements with the farmer for the hay?"

Faith's eyes went wide, "No I didn't! Thanks for reminding me. Did the caretaker say we still had someone doing the hay rides?"

"Yes. He's taking both shifts, and working six days, apparently this guy either needs the money or he's super into hay rides."

"Mm...I love me some hay rides," Faith said in her best creepy voice, and Ammie burst into giggles. "All right, let's go see about that while we're thinking about it."

They left the room, and Strom sat down on his bed, blinking in surprise. "So they are hiring our target, it seems."

"Mr. McCarthy will not succeed in his transactions. We will succeed, but you must work on being more human."

"It is not my fault Ammie finds my psuedo-Vulcan traits attractive, or my shyness. Perhaps if you did not act like a depraved beast, they would find you similarly agreeable."


	2. The Dinner

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to vulcangiggles and Black-Moon-Onaa-Inu for reviewing.**_

Faith was sitting at her desk typing when Ammie entered the office, "Grand opening tomorrow at sun down. The festivities Actually start at noon, with hayrides for the special needs kids, and a fall picnic. The rides will be going, the witches caldron's cups, and the corn maze is ready. There will be a pumpkin pie eating contest, at 3, bobbing for apples, and of course the corn maze contest to see who gets through it quickest. Faith, I think we managed to put it together with a full day to spare."

Faith looked up, "We did indeed. Our hayride conductor will be here tomorrow morning, he got held up so he won't be at the staff dinner tonight. The gift shop is fully stocked, and I handled the fake blood crisis the make-up artist was having. We should have plenty now for the season. And are you ready for the best thing yet?"

"Hit me!"

"We have enough tour buses booked that if we don't get a single walk in, which you know isn't going to happen, that we will still make it to Vulcan!"

Ammie grabbed Faith's shoulders, "Shut up!"

"Seriously."

Faith grinned, "All we have left to do is go over to the medic station and make sure your Dr. Bob is set, check on our artistic director, and boom we are all done. We will all get to go out to dinner tonight and relax before we open."

"He's not _my_ Dr. Bob, you know..."

"May I say, your v-neck red sweater does look lovely with your hair. And do I see a red apple pin in your hair? That's a lot more effort than I would have expected from you, Ammie."

She blushed and punched Faith's shoulder, then led her out of the boarding house towards the medical bay. It was a small cabin, like a ranger station, and it smelled of antiseptic on the inside.

"That autumn air just gets your blood moving, doesn't it, Ammie? Makes you want to just...kiss someone out of the blue."

"Yeah, like that protester. How cute, she even brought a sign!"

Faith raised an eyebrow at the rugged posterboard on a wooden stake, hoisted up by a pale, scrawny girl of no more than sixteen.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" Ammie yelled. The girl's cheeks turned a splotchy, bright red color.

"Halloween is evil! And what you're doing is evil!"

"Well, don't trespass on this property or we will have you arrested," Faith warned. Ammie giggled.

"Lighten up! It's the feast day of St. Jerome, patron saint of librarians! You should be celebrating!"

Faith pointed at Ammie, "And don't forget All Saints Day too." She slugged her in the shoulder, "Oh, look, your Doctor Bob is standing on the porch of the medic station, almost like he was waiting for you."

"I'm gonna cut ya, Faith...gonna cut ya deep," she replied in a fake menacing way.

"Mebbe, I should cut you so you can get all inspected by Dr. Bob." Faith grinned and took off on a run toward the medic station, forcing Ammie to run to follow her.

"Good morning, Dr. Bob. How is everything in the land of the sterile and stitches?"

"I would like to have another box of gauze, just in case things get...messy." His eyes fell on Ammie at that moment, and she blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Also, if you would be so kind as to order another unit of painkillers, I would be very grateful."

"Will do, doctor! Anything else?"

His eyes drifted towards the girl at the gate. "Why is she standing out there?"

"She thinks Halloween is sacrilege, tantamount to adultery and thievery," Ammie said quietly with a sigh. "Religious nutjobs. What can you do?"

Strom started to ask if "she wished her removed" but stiffled himself, thinking that would sound too Vulcan. "Uh, do you want me to get rid of her?"

"Nah, we'll give her some warm cider when it gets a bit colder. She's got the right to do it, it just doesn't make sense."

Faith tapped in his order onto her PADD. "Ok, gauze and pain killers ordered."

"Where are you ladies off to next?"

"We are going to the props and acting department to check on Greg. Are you two joining us tonight for our pre-season dinner? Faith and I are making pumpkin soup, vegan sourdough bread with olive oil and garlic spread, and I think Faith made an apple and a pumpkin pie."

"That sounds good," Strom said. "Do you cook often?"

"Only when I have guests," Faith replied, and Ammie giggled.

"I've been baking bread since I could follow a recipe. I love to cook, when I have the time. Do you cook, doctor?"

Strom nodded. "I like to cook, and I'm pleased you're making a vegan meal."

"Well, it did say in your profile that you don't eat meat, and that's just fine with us. We don't either," Ammie said.

"We don't mind if other people eat meat, and we're not going to judge, but I physically can't stomach meat," Faith said quietly, and Strom raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I look forward to seeing you at dinner. Please let me know when those orders come in, ok?"

"Will do Doc!" Faith said and waved as she and Ammie started walking toward their next place, "He is a nice guy, Ammie. If he were a Vulcan, I'd say go for it."

Ammie blushed, "You know that's not who I am...I don't go for it."

"I know, but I think he is fond of you." Faith said with a shrug, "You ready to see Mr. Surprising Eyes?"

"Sure enough. The actors have been saying this guy is a total perfectionist."

"Well then, let's hope we get some scary ish out of them."

…

Faith grinned at Ammie, who she could tell was still thinking of the doctor. Ammie was about to ask Faith what on Earth she was grinning about (even though she already knew) when they were nearly knocked over by a herd of people, half of which were in costume, walking down the path. The pair stepped to the side, waiting for the hoard of actors to pass.

"What is it?" Ammie growled at Faith.

"Nothing," she replied with a wry smile. "Let's see how our director is doing, shall we?"

The two walked into the barn, where the director was bent over a table, looking as if he were planning the invasion of Normandy.

"So how are things going?" Ammie inquired politely, stepping up to the table.

"We are ready for the opening," he said, straightening to his full height. "I assure you, the actors are prepared and will perform their tasks to your satisfaction."

"Rawr!" Faith said making scratches in the air, "Go get'm tiger. We stopped by to see if you require anything further for your work, or if you have all the supplies you need."

"We are fine in my department, and running under budget." Solok said with a note of pride obvious in his voice, though his eyes shot to Faith wondering what was mean by calling him a large feline. He decided he would find out later, some how, perhaps Strom would know.

Ammie grinned, "Under budget is something we like to hear. Are you coming to dinner tonight? We hand made everything."

"Wonderful," Solok purred. "May I ask what's on the menu?"

"Pumpkin soup, vegan sourdough bread and pie."

"Truly exquisite. I'll come."

Faith giggled. "You sound great when you get fancy with your words." He puffed up at this and smiled again, and Ammie started giggling with Faith.

"Well, then, dinner is at six. Don't be late! And don't feed the gremlins!"

…

Strom entered Solok's room. messing with his jeans around the groin, "Human males have a truly have uncomfortable clothing. I find it...binding."

Solok turned, "I know. I prefer our clothes, but we need to fit in. I believe I am nailing acting as if I'm human."

Strom nodded, "I am as well." he blinked, "What do you think of our human bosses...do you think they might be involved in the trafficking?"

"Unlikely," Solok replied. "They seem more concerned with raising funds and making sure the camp is a success. I doubt they are involved. However, if need be, we could...cheat."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "You propose we touch them?"

"Indeed. We can feel whether or not they are lying."

"But that would undermine our cover."

"Perhaps that would not be such a bad thing, in the long run. After all, they find Vulcans attractive. Ammie is already warming up to you, and I believe Faith has looked my way several times when she thinks I'm not looking. However, you are correct. This mission is of utmost importance. We do not want our homeworld to be so...rife with unsavory things. Did you examine the evidence of the last raid? I read there were even Orion aphrodisiacs contained therein."

"Are you suggesting that we...flirt with these women?" Strom asked staring down Solok.

Solok backtracked a bit, "Perhaps we should make our choice after we touch them."

"But touching them, is..."

"Cheating to our mission, but I think we might be able to accomplish it without them knowing we are searching for dishonesty."

"You are insinuating we kiss them," Strom said bluntly, knowing that he wanted to kiss Ammie, but feared doing so under a pretense...would it compromise her thoughts on him? He turned away from Solok and frowned the discord in his mind meant his _katra_ was stirred already.

Solok nodded simply. "Do not be forceful, or the entire operation will backfire."

Strom swallowed thickly and turned away, pulling on a button-up flannel over his undershirt. "And if they do not wish to kiss us?"

"We will regroup and discuss other options."

"And how soon do you want to know this information?"

"As soon as possible. However, if we do not hurry, we will be late for dinner. I suggest we make haste."

"Human men do not place nearly as much value on promptness than our people. Being a few minutes late is perfectly acceptable."

…

"Mm, taste this soup." Faith said holding the spoon up to Ammie, who took it.

"Wow, we out did ourselves. This is going to be awesome." Ammie grinned, placing the last of the silverware on the table. She glanced at the clock, "It's almost time. I made tea, and coffee. I hope they don't want soda."

Faith put the bread on the table and then ladled out a generous portion of the soup at each placement, "I feel terrible that our hay ride coordinator isn't going to be here. He's going to miss a good meal."

The oven dinged and Ammie smiled, "I'll get it I hear the guys coming."

Strom paused in the hallway, reeling slightly from the smell of the apple pie that Ammie pulled from the oven. Something about the smell of it was making his head spin, and he glanced at Solok, who was breathing in the smell with an eagerness that concerned the doctor. How could they maintain their cover with that smell permeating the kitchen?

Solok forced a smile on his face and entered first, complimenting Faith on her cooking (she was cutting up the vegan sourdough). The woman smiled at him, her pupils blooming, and Strom raised an eyebrow. It seemed she was more agreeable to Solok than he first anticipated.

Ammie, on the other hand, turned and saw him, smiling at him, and he swallowed nervously before stepping into the kitchen and approaching her. "Thank you for making dinner," he said after a short pause. "It looks wonderful. And smells quite delightful." He closed his eyes when she turned away to set her oven mitts down. He sounded too Vulcan. He had to sound human.

Faith took a seat and waited for Ammie to bring the two pies in and sit them on the table. "Thanks Ammie. Ok guys, it's time to dig in!"

"Are we not going to wait for the others?" Solok asked smelling the food.

"What others? The gentleman who runs the hay rides and all that won't be arriving until mid morning tomorrow. His travel plans got messed up, I guess." Faith stood again, "Oh I forgot...tea or coffee?"

"Tea," Solok replied.

"Ammie, would you mind getting the doctor what he wants while I get the tea?"

"Sure Faith."

When the girls were back in the kitchen Solok stared at Strom, "The scents...they are serving beverages..." he was salivating slightly as he spoke.

"Remember your disciplines," the doctor murmured, trying not to breathe deeply. "Remember this mission."

But it seemed his words were falling on deaf ears, because the minute Faith returned with tea, Solok locked his gaze on her and did not stop staring until she set the tea in front of him.

"Thank you," he murmured, raising his glass in toast to her, his dark eyes fixed on her as he took a drink. He noted Faith's eyes were blooming again, and Solok's nostrils were flaring, seemingly taking in her scent. It was a dangerous game they were playing now, but his own attention was drawn away when Ammie set a glass of tea in front of him. He caught a whiff of her scent as she moved away, and it mixed with the smell of the pie. He swallowed down a purr and the urge to pull her into his lap. She would not appreciate that, he told himself. However, he could not stop himself from glancing over at Ammie's neck. He could see the vein on the side of her neck pulsing with blood...

"Alright, gentlemen, _now_ you can dig in."

Strom started to eat in silence, but then he realized that was a Vulcan way to eat. "So, Ammie, tell us about yourself. What do you besides work?"

Solok eyed him for a moment and then piped up,"Yes, Ammie, and Faith, tell us what you like to do?"

"If we tell you do we get to ask in return?" Ammie said with a grin.

Strom swallowed, it was a stupid game he just started, but Solok answered for them both, "Of course."

"Ammie, you go first," Faith said, taking another bite of soup.

"What do I like to do?" she wondered aloud. "Well...I like to draw. I'm trying to learn Vulcan, but Faith is better at that than me...and I like to read. I try to broaden my horizons and read books from other cultures. I have Prixes' Law and some of the writings of Surak on my shelf at home. And what about you, doctor? What do you like to do in your spare time?"

"Research," he replied simply. It wasn't a complete lie. "And I too like to read."

"Don't be modest, Ammie, we are learning together, and she is every bit as good as me, better in some respects. She is also an artist, she does some amazing work. That wall hanging in her room is her design." Faith said smiling at her friend. "I'm pretty much like her too, and I make jewelry too." Faith said, "I don't wear it as you can see, but I do make it...So, what about you, Greg? What do you do?"

Solok started to falter he couldn't think of anything so he put a big hunk of bread in his mouth and held up a finger to say a moment so he can think. Strom covered for him, "Do you have plans to go to Vulcan?" and then it hit him, "Do you have...Vulcan bondmates?" he asked suddenly concerned that they may already be bonded and their plans to kiss them might not be wise.

Faith laughed. "Don't we wish!"

But Ammie blushed and vehemently shook her head, confused about this entire ordeal. They would have to spend a month with these men, and already she could feel the stirrings of attraction to the doctor. Faith was right; she really did like this human doctor, which made her feel as if she were giving up her dreams. But he was so smart he could probably make it easily on Vulcan...

"And yes, once we're done here with this season, we're off to Vulcan." Ammie noted Faith didn't sound as enthusiastic about it as she had this morning, but they continued on with their conversation. The doctor, it turned out, was from Pennsylvania, and also spoke fluent Vulcan. Greg also spoke it, and they all tried speaking together in Vulcan. Bob's voice resonated in her ears as he recited a litany about an ancient battle, and Ammie closed her eyes, listening to his dulcet tones, the soft, warm cadence of his voice...

"Falling asleep already, Ammie?" Faith teased.

"I'm listening to Bob," she groused. "Go on, doctor, and please excuse Faith for her interruption."

When Bob fell silent, Faith grinned, "His accent is exactly as I said it was. You sound like you come straight out of Raal." Ammie shook her head and sighed, "Yes you do. Our teacher, Sirak, taught us in a Shi'Kahr accent. but he also taught us how to pick out other accents."

Ammie looked at Solok, "Just like you sound like come from Gol."

"You have a good ear," Solok said blandly.

"So who taught you guys? Any teachers we might know?"

Strom blinked, "School."

"That doesn't tell them anything," Solok said as Faith began cutting up the pie. "What Bob means to say is that we learned in college."

"Who was your teacher?"

"You wouldn't know him. Osu Barel?"

"Never heard of him. And you, doctor?"

"Osu Venetak."

"Haven't heard of him either. Would you like apple pie or pumpkin?"

"Apple pie, thank you," Solok said, and Strom opted for pumpkin. The scent of it hit his nose as he raised the fork to his mouth, and he watched Ammie's lips wrap around her fork.

"Mm," Faith moaned. "We did good, didn't we, Ammie?"

Ammie moaned and let her eyes close, "Oh yes...best part of the dinner. That Thai cinnamon you used for the pumpkin and apple really changed it, Faith."

"Thai is the fresh stuff, it's more expensive but worth it."

Solok held the pie to his mouth. _Cinnamon_...he knew he might behave in a more lascivious way if he ingested this. His eyes caught Strom and saw that he was eating it as if he ate it every day. Solok put it in his mouth and he nearly caught himself starting to purr, and the more he chewed the more he thought kissing Faith was a good idea.

"It is beyond delicious." Strom said, after swallowing down another bite, "Do I get to kiss the cook?" He asked leaning toward Ammie.

"After we do the dishes, sure," she said with a giggle, thinking he was teasing. He licked his lips and ate the last bit of pie, then reached out for her plate. She handed it to him and took another sip of tea, and she made to get up and help him. But Greg insisted that they stay where they were while he and Bob did the dishes, and once they were out of the room, she glanced at Faith with wide eyes.

"Do you think he means it?"

Faith wiggled her eyebrows. "Hey, he's cute. Give the man a chance, hm?"

Ammie grinned but then her shoulders fell, "But...if I do this...aren't I giving up on the dream?"

Faith grinned, "Love...it's a crazy thing. Perhaps, a man who speaks vulcan and tolerates your vulcan obsession is as good as the green blood."

Ammie put her head on Faith's shoulder, "Yeah, maybe, but never to know that bond..."

…

Solok turned on the water to rinse the dishes, "It appears you will be successful in your kiss."

Strom was still looking toward the door. "It is agreeable that I will. What of you?"

"Faith is mine, she just does not know it yet. I drank all of the tea when she served me, and drank it before her. She refilled it...I drank it again. I have claimed her. There are no other Vulcans around, save you, but you have your own prize to catch; I am safe to take my time in showing her how mine she is."


	3. The Kiss

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to vulcangiggles, Ahlysha, jackiemack916, and 2redbird for reviewing.**_

Solok wandered through the house and found Faith sitting on the hearth rug, petting a small black kitten.

"Hello, Greg," she said with a smile, patting the seat beside her. "This is Tiger, the ranch kitten. Do you want to hold him?"

Solok sat down holding his hands out for the kitten. "Tiger, this one looks like a panther. A fuzzy mess of one, but a panther none the less." he smirked, rubbing his finger between the kitten's eyes feeding it calm. The purring started to fill the small space.

Faith's eyes widened, "My that is some touch you have with kittens." she held up her hand, "He was so spunky he made me bleed just playing."

"He does have fire in him, doesn't he?" The kitten mewled and rubbed its head eagerly into his hand, and he obliged it, cupping its chin as he stroked his hand down its back. "I take it you like cats?"

"I do. I think cats are adorable."

"He's...adorable," he settled. He would have to stop himself from saying "agreeable". That would certainly tip her off. "Your cooking is superb, Faith. I thoroughly enjoyed the pie."

She giggled. "I could tell."

"It also seems that you enjoy my tea blend too, I've never seen anyone drink it down as swiftly as you did." Faith blinked, and cocked her head, "While you are seducing tiger there," she rubbed her finger over Tiger's now exposed belly, "Can I get you some tea or some cider or anything at all?"

"I desire more tea yes." Solok replied, but started to get up. Faith put her hand on his shoulder pushing him down.

"Sit and rub the kitty, I'll get you some tea, and an extra sliver of pie for you to take to bed with you." She grinned, then padded off to the kitchen.

Solok bit back a purr and turned his attention to the kitten, who was seemingly melting from his touch. "If only I could get her to be like you," he whispered to the kitten. "She's spoiling me, and the more she spoils me, the harder it is to maintain this facade."

The kitten simply purred and licked the tip of his finger, and he gasped, withdrawing his hand.

"Did he bite you?"

"No," he breathed. "He licked me. It...tickled."

Faith's eyes narrowed, and she set the tea and pie on the coffee table. "Let me see, I've never seen a man of your size jump like that and it not be a bite." she pulled his hand toward her and looked carefully at his fingers, running the pads of hers over his, checking for marks, "You lucked out Mr. Tiger, had you bitten him we'd have had to...well, no cat nip treats for a week!" With his hand still in her she reached over and scratched Tiger's ears. "My good lord, Greg." she picked up the kitten's limp leg and dropped it on his arm. "Now that is relaxed."

Solok was focused on her hand holding his, he made only a grunt in reply. He had the facts from her touch, she didn't work for the smugglers and in fact disliked drugs intensely. He caught a faint thought about Sarek, and it made him want to tear out of the house and beat Sarek with his lirpa. He blinked that was illogical...Sarek was bonded, her thoughts were admiration, it was human and compassionate...nothing more.

"Umm you're holding my hand." Faith said, "Hello, you zoned out there for a minute and now you _are _gripping my hand."

Solok looked down at her hand and let it go, and he frowned, now missing his excuse to kiss her. No matter. He would do it anyway, if he could manage it, because she was aesthetically pleasing.

"Tell me more about Vulcan," he purred. "Tell me all you know."

She laughed. "Oh, where to begin?"

She launched into a lecture, and he listened intently, silently correcting her when she gave him false percentages, however her grasp on his culture was impressive. She understood the logic behind vegetarianism and had a basic understanding of why only bondmates were supposed to touch, and once she began rambling about the native plants and animals, he could not restrain himself.

He leaned forward and lightly kissed her neck, waiting for a cue from her to continue.

Faith jumped feeling the warmth of lips on her neck. "Ooh" she squeaked, as he pulled away. She watched him sit the now sleeping kitten carefully in the kitty bed he was now facing her on all fours. He looked like a predator, and she felt like prey. She swallowed thickly, "I think you want more than pie..."

"Yes." he said moving forward.

"I should stop you..."

"Yes."

She blinked and leaned forward. The last thought she had before feeling his lips was _what harm is there in kissing a handsome man?_

Solok cupped her face and purred into her mouth, unable to stop himself from his biological instincts. He could not, however, stroke his fingers over her flesh as he wanted to...the spark it would cause would surely blow his cover. Her lips tasted sweet, like Earth spices, and he stroked a thumb over her neck. She breathed in sharply and melted into his touch, and he groaned when she took his hand.

"I take it you like that?" she whispered, moving towards his neck. She began nibbling his earlobe, and he could not make himself stop her...it felt too good, too right...

"_Faith_," he whispered, his natural Golic accent coming forth. "_Yes, that pleases me_." It sounded more natural in Vulcan, so he didn't bother switching back to English.

Faith heard her name in Vulcan, it sounded like a real Vulcan, and it shot a spasm to her core. Her eyes fluttered closed feeling him kiss her as she nibbled at his ears. When she wrapped her arms around him he felt solid, strong, hot...She could almost imagine she was with a Vulcan man. Her eyes opened and she pulled away, "Um, I am sorry we...I need to stop."

Solok frowned, caressing her cheek fighting his urge to bond her, "_Have I displeased you?_" he asked in Vulcan, feeling through his touch for if he had harmed her.

"No, it's not you...it's...I wouldn't be...this isn't right for me to do." she blinked and stood. "I may hate myself in the morning but...I'm going to bed, Greg. I...you are lovely, and," she shivered to punctuate her feeling, "but all the time you are touching me I'm thinking of Vulcans. That wouldn't be honorable to lead you on, not that you aren't wonderful, but you need a woman who is thinking of...you as you." She bowed her head,"I'm sorry..."

Solok watched her go, growling in frustration once he heard her door close. He picked up the dishes and quickly washed them, then quietly slipped into his room and began meditation on his bed.

She desired a Vulcan, and he _was_ a Vulcan...the sooner they completed this mission and were able to turn their attention to this new matter, the better. He would win her...he would make her see that she was indisputably his.

…

Strom put away the last dish and noted that Faith and Ammie had split up, and were no longer in the dining room.

"Ammie?" he called.

"She's outside on the porch."

"Thank you, Ms. Cloverleaf."

He strode outside to the porch and found her leaning against the railing, staring up at the bright autumn stars. He joined her, and although the feel of the cold air took the wind out of his sails, the sight of her bathed in cold moonlight was a very aesthetically pleasing one.

"They are lovely, aren't they?" he murmured, staring up at the stars.

Ammie grinned at him, "They are lovely." She pointed up at Vulcan's star. "Vulcan."

Strom wanted to growl in pleasure but he leaned against the railing next to her, trying to think how a human would think, "So, do I get to kiss the cook now or are you waiting for a handsome Vulcan to sweep you from this place?"

Ammie looked up at him, she felt like she had stopped breathing her lips parted, and she didn't even know what she was going to say or do...

"I only give you one piece of advice, Ammie," Strom said, letting his voice deepen as he gently cupped her cheek. "We tend to accept appearances as sacrosanct, when in reality, we should be more...observant of our surroundings. Do not let your eyes fool you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see," he whispered, kissing her cheek, "in time."

It turned out she was not involved at all in the trafficking scheme, and he smirked as he leaned back against the railing, hoping he hadn't revealed too much. "I enjoyed my kiss from the cook, Ammie," he said, staring up at the stars. "Your pumpkin pie recipe is divine."

Ammie swallowed thickly she leaned against the railing harder. "Would you like to walk the campus, Dr. Bob?" said abruptly, "The decorations are up and the lights are on, let's go look around and see if they scare us."

Strom nodded, "I would like that very much."

They walked down the stairs together, the cool autumn air picked up. Strom took off his flannel over shirt and wrapped it around Ammie's shoulders. "When I touched you...you seemed cool."

"But what about you?"

He licked his lips, trying to school his answer, "Then I will just have to walk closer to you."

Ammie led him into the haunted maze, picking up a flashlight from the box near the entrance. "One time, when I was little...I had a neighbor who I...strongly disliked, and she always teased me about my thick eyebrows and my clothes and the fact that I was poorer than her. So when her mom and her were putting up Halloween decorations, I watched from behind a tree. Her mom went in to get more tape, and I sneaked up behind her. She always whined when she had to go get her shots, loud enough for the entire block to hear her...so..."

She stopped him and put a hand on his shoulder, and leaned forward. "I know this is really mean, but I snaked up behind her and whispered in her ear, '_the doctor will see you now'_." She used her best creepy voice. "And she screamed bloody murder and ran inside to her mom, and I bailed, and I feel kind of guilty for laughing now. Turns out she had severe iatrophobia."

"Fear of doctors?"

"Yup."

Strom walked a little closer to her, "I find your eyebrows and clothes to be as-" he paused, nearly saying _aesthetically pleasing_, "beautiful as the night we stand in." He blinked hoping that made for a good save. "So, if you ever meet this person again, I will gladly introduce myself as a doctor, and pretend I am looking for a patient." He grinned down at her. "Just for you. I may even pull out a medical scanner when I do it." He reached out and put his arm around her, pulling her in under his arm.

He blinked realizing it was improper, but then he had seen many human movies that males did this kind of thing, yet...she preferred Vulcans for a reason. He dropped his arm, "Forgive me, I don't know...Umm...So tell me...what is so appealing about Vulcans that you find you want one for a mate?"

Ammie looked away, blushing hotly. "I don't know...they're sophisticated. They're usually more polite than the normal rabble of idiots most girls have to put up with. I think it's the restraint, and the mystery."

She was confused now, and she dared a glance at him. Something about the sight of him in the moonlight seemed...wrong...for a moment, she could almost imagine him in robes, with pointed ears and elegantly upswept brows...almost as if he belonged in them...

"_How long have you spoken Vulcan?_" she asked in Vulcan, wanting to change the subject.

Strom opened his mouth, willing a lie to come from his lips, but none would come. There was something about looking into the wells of her honey brown eyes that would not allow him to tell a falsehood to her, not even one as small as this. He blinked, and replied in Vulcan, "_For as long as I can remember._"

"But you said at supper your teacher was in college."

"He was, but that was High Vulcan, not everyone knows that dialect. I've spoken Vulcan itself for as long as I can remember." He reached out and gently pushed back a stray hair from her face. "I'm going to kiss you now."

He nodded, confirming it more to himself than to her, and bent, placing his lips over hers, gently caressing them with his own. She tasted like Earth smelled to him, full of life and water and the richness of bounty. He threaded his fingers into her dark hair, pulling her as close as he could without breaking even human propriety, before letting go of this kiss to look into her eyes.

"Am I fired for sexual harassment?" he asked weakly, an awkwardness settling into his mind.

"Only if I say no," she whispered, threading her hands through his hair. "I haven't said no..."

His lips and his hands were warm, and if she closed her eyes, she could almost see him as a Vulcan...

"_You are a delight_," she breathed, switching back to Vulcan, and his eyes flashed before he bent and kissed her again. She pressed herself to his body and stroked her thumb over the curve of his rounded ear, and he gasped into her mouth, his grip on her tightening. She could feel hard muscle beneath her fingertips, and it delighted her, making her core pulsate with warmth.

Strom picked her up and carried her into the corn off the path, and laying her down, he nuzzled in beside her, still kissing her lips, his fingers stroking the roundness of her ears. His mouth moved to her ear and he licked up the shell of it.

"_Ashaya,_" he rumbled softly, in Vulcan. "M_ay I never do anything that causes you to say no. It would displease me greatly to think I would_." The rumble his _katra_ felt earlier was a full-fledged tsunami. He was experiencing the engulfment. Every touch proved a challenge to his control, and though he was pleasing her, the beast knew other ways that would please her, Vulcan ways. If he dropped his mental blocks, he could let her feel his desire for her, but if he did, even a little, he knew she would know, and their cover would be blown.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes. What logic was there in keeping his cover? She was not a part of the crime, she could be his partner in bringing this man to justice. His mind was in tumult, so he pushed it away and kissed her lips again.

Ammie wasn't sure how long it was before he slowly pulled away from her lips and set his mouth at her neck. She gasped, gripping the straw beneath them as he lavished his tongue over her flesh. He murmured something in Vulcan that she didn't understand, and she tilted her head back, shivering with delight.

"_Doctor_," she murmured in slow, thick Vulcan. His lips and tongue felt exquisite, and for once, she could imagine him, as him, talking and dating...

A wolf howled in the distance, and she gently pushed him away, chastely kissing his lips. He had even nibbled at her neck, leaving tiny little marks she might regret in the morning. It was definitely going to be a hair-down kind of day tomorrow. That, or she needed to find a decorative scarf.

"We should go back to the house. It's getting late," she whispered, running a bold hand through his hair. "Thank you."

Strom nodded, bringing his biocontrols into order again, "Yes." He pushed himself up and gingerly helped her up to her feet, careful not to show too much strength. He walked with her back to the house. He let her enter first, and after walking her to her room he gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"Good night." He wanted to say more, but couldn't think of anything.

He walked up stairs toward his room, when he was out of sight, Ammie opened up Faith's door and squealed. "Oh my logic, he is..."

Faith grinned. "You have a hicky." She patted her bed and sat up. "Dish, girl! What happened?"

Ammie felt her face flush, and she immediately moved her hair to hide it, but Faith pushed it back. "Ooh! Someone's getting lovebites!"

"He's so...by Surak's sexy pointed ears, he's amazing. You should hear his pillow talk in Vulcan...he sounds so good! But what I don't understand is how he knows Vulcan for as long as he remembers. That's what he said to me. I guess he knew a Vulcan who taught him? Was he taken in by Vulcans? I just don't understand..."

...

Strom walked into Solok's room by accident, and he was about to turn when he saw Solok sitting before a meditation lamp. His eyes went wide. "Solok! You know we cannot have such things...what are you doing?"

"Calming myself, Dr. Strom." He opened his eyes and looked to the doctor. "You have an injury on your neck."

Strom shifted on his feet. "Do not change the subject. Why are you using a meditation lamp? I thought we agreed on candles only."

"The sooner we complete this mission, the better off we will be. The caretaker...can we convince him to search the hayride operator when he arrives?"

"Solok, we must examine the chain of criminals that make this exchange possible. If we capture him now, we lose access to his middleman!"

"It is all fine and good for you...she adores you as you are..."

"She wishes I was Vulcan, and one day, she will learn the truth. It is difficult to know that with a few words, you could have her for yourself, but we have a mission to complete, and we must complete it."

Strom frowned, "It is not so easy. Your control protects her from you, that is an honor. Mine – and she is mine – will hate me if she feels I have deceived her." He went before Solok on bended knee. "Let us go now and tell them both who we are, who we really are, and why we are here. They are smart, they will be able to aid us in our mission. It is only logical, since they will have access to thing we may not.

Ammie is a good and pure spirit, she will dislike that the business they are working to build is compromised by thugs who would ship drugs from it, and in addition," Strom added blinking vehemently, "your Faith would aid us as well...and she would understand now, later perhaps they would both feel deceived. They both have Vulcan pictures, what if they were to go to Vulcan and one of them would be taken in an instant in a bond? Your Faith serves her friends, my Ammie is a giving spirit..."

Solok considered what he said. "The needs of the many and of the one would be served...it seems logical..."

…

"I don't know how he would know that. You should ask him in-"

Faith was cut off by a knock at the door, and she answered it while Ammie leaned back and gazed up at the IDIC poster above Faith's bed.

"May we come in?"

She turned when Greg and Bob walked into the room, standing primly with their hands behind their backs. They looked more Vulcan than ever, Ammie thought, and she frowned in confusion.

"I assure you," Greg began, "that we have only done this as a safety measure for you, to preserve a status quo and catch a criminal in your ranks."

"Say what now?"

"We are not human," Bob said, glaring at Greg. "Your hayride operator is suspected in taking part in a drug trafficking ring that transports illegal pharmaceuticals from Earth to Vulcan."

"I don't understand," Ammie said, standing. "What do you mean, you're not human?"

Greg smirked, his eyes on Faith. "My name is Solok, of Gol, and this is Dr. Strom of Raal. We were ordered to disguise ourselves as humans, but since we have found you two to be agreeable and trustworthy, we decided to reveal ourselves."

Ammie was silent for a few moments. "This is too good to be true."

Dr. Strom held out his hand to her. "Ammie, _ashaya_, come to me...listen to my heart and tell me what species I am. Prick me, cut me...my blood flows green, Ammie. I told you looks are deceiving."

Faith stood up and walked carefully toward this "Solok". He raised his hand and took a small pin from his pocket, and pricked his finger. Ammie and Faith stood in awe as a green droplet welled up on the pad of his finger.

"What did they do to your beautiful ears? What did they..." Ammie said, moving toward Strom.

"It is just a cosmetic affect, _ashaya_. One that, when the mission is over, we will have rectified." He reached out and slid his fingers down the backs of her hand, this time letting his guard drop so she could feel the tingle of a Vulcan kiss. It pleased him to see her swoon.

Faith looked closer at Solok, who was smirking down at her. "As he said, this humanity is an illusion. I believe it would be permissible now for us to continue the discussion we began downstairs without worry...don't you?"

Faith nodded, her mouth hanging open slightly, but no words coming out.

"Unbelievable..." she finally whispered.


	4. The Plot

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**_

Strom was just unlocking the storage room to find a few more supplies for the opening day when he heard a knock at the door. He walked across the rough wooden floor, through dusky beams of early-morning sunlight, and he raised his eyebrows at the sight of his Ammie, rubbing her neck and smiling shyly up at him.

"Good morning," he purred, gesturing her inside and shutting the door. "For what reason have you graced me with your presence, _ashaya_?"

"My neck...you kind of...you know...bruised it."

"Ah," he said, clasping his hands in front of him as his face grew warm. "Then let me examine you." He patted the table and picked up the dermal regenerator, and he pushed back a loose curl of dark brown hair and contemplated her bruises. Indeed, some of them had teeth marks ringing them, and it made his fingertips tingle just to look at them again.

"Just a few moments under the regenerator, and these marks will be gone," he said, stroking his thumb over the marks. She closed her eyes, her lips parting, and his fingertips tingled harder.

"Ammie?"

Ammie's eyes opened slightly, her pupils were blooming. Her mind took her straight to the gutter as his fingers ran over the brazen marks. "I know Vulcans do that to mark their mates." She let the word _mate_ linger in the air with the gravity it deserved.

Strom swallowed and nodded. "They do."

"I didn't come in to get them erased, but rather to..." she gave him a blushing shy grin, "brag."

Strom dropped the dermal regenerator as if it had burned him. "I've healed both of them, so they are only shadows."

Ammie gave him a playful pouting frown. "That won't do will it?"

"No," Strom said in a husky tenor, sliding his arm around her waist pulling her closer, "It will not." His lips moved to where the original mark was, and he whispered, "But only if you will indeed be my mate..."

"I'll be whatever you want me to be," she whispered sincerely, moaning as he attached his lips to her neck and started sucking. Her gut tightened in arousal, and she threaded her fingers through his curly hair, whimpering as he nibbled at her.

"Just don't stop..." she continued belatedly, rubbing her fingers up and down the shell of his ear. "Oh, I can't wait to see you with your ears back..."

"The bottom half of my human ears is still...sensitive." He gasped the last word as she lightly stroked up the shell of his ear. "Ammie, my _ashal-veh_..."

He growled and slowly moved his marks downward, tugging the hem of her shirt down so he could suckle at the top of her breast.

"Strom!" she whimpered, pressing his head into her body. "Strom..."

He lifted her onto the exam table, lasciviously pressing himself into her core, internally cursing the tightness of the human jeans he was wearing. He nipped at the skin at the top of her bosoms. His beast told him to mark her there, and he gave in to the desire.

He bit a little harder, not enough to break the skin. He would not go _that_ far until he had poured his essence into her, to make her his bondmate. He heard her gasp, and he pulled back letting his thin lips graze softly over hers. "That will have to do, until such time it is more proper." He held her hand up, curling in her ring finger and pinky he slid his fingers up hers, letting his guards drop so she could properly feel a true Vulcan kiss.

She slowly pulled her hand away and slipped her fingers into the beltloops of his jeans, tugging him forward into her. He moaned, and she brushed her thumbs over his bountiful and obvious erection.

"One of these days," she purred, tantalizing him, "you won't have to stop..."

She didn't know where this boldness came from, but she curled her fingers around the hem of his jeans, slowly sliding the backs of her two fingers down towards the top of his manhood. He growled, nipping boldly at her neck.

"Ammie...you little minx..."

"Only around you," she said with a sly little grin, kissing the end of his nose. "Thank you for the...treatment, doctor. I feel better already."

…

Faith stepped from the door of the house, and saw Ammie walking on rubbery legs toward her. "Oh put yourself away." Faith mouthed to her walking to join her in the middle of the path.

Ammie was blushing, "So, what's up?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing, but from the way you are walking..."

Ammie slugged her friend on the shoulder, "Not that far. But wow, his kisses..."

Faith gave her a discreet high five, "Well, we are all on schedule. The first bus is on it's way, and the restaurant is opening." She paused in the path and nodded her head toward the barn. "You see that tall thin blond guy?"

"Yes."

"That is our hay ride director. The one Strom and Solok are watching. I met him while you were getting your freak on." Faith grinned, poking her ribs.

"You try resisting when...Greg's fingers are all up on your neck and his voice sounds like he's having sex with your ears!"

Faith snorted. "So do you want to hear about this guy or not?"

"Why don't I just go meet him?"

She shrugged and led Ammie over to where the man was standing. He was lean, scrawny almost, all sinew and no muscle. His cheeks were sallow, and Ammie was reminded of a scarecrow, as his hair was the color of light straw.

"Welcome to Nachthaus Ranch!" she said with a smile, holding out her hand. The man's grip was cold.

"Pleasure's mine, ma'am," he said. His voice sounded like an oil slick, and Ammie tried not to shiver.

"So how are you finding things so far?"

He sucked air through his teeth, turning his head he spit on some hay, "The horses are good, well exercised. I need to get busy polishing up the leather wear, and the metal." he looked back toward the girls never actually looking at them. "So things are great. The caretaker told me when and where to take chow. I think I'm good to go."

Faith watched Ammie watching him, "Do you need a room? The caretaker said you didn't want one in the house."

"No, Ma'am," he said, looking back and spitting in the hay again, "I don't like sleeping in houses, I'll be camp'n...it's in my contract that way."

"Whatever floats your boat, sir," Faith said, raising her hands up in a sign of non-resistance. "Well, Mr. McCarthy, it's good to have you on our team."

He spat again into the hay, and Ammie grabbed Faith's arm and pulled her back to the house.

"That's just gross. I hate it when guys do that. I know we're out in the middle of Nowhere, but still...not in front of a lady," Ammie whispered.

"I'm with you there, girlfriend."

"And speaking of girlfriends...how are things between you and Mr. Theater, hm? You haven't given me the dish!"

Faith blushed. "He is too busy to come into the house for lunch today, so I'm going to take him food and drink to his office."

"You mean the one you have to take the golf cart to get to at the end of the trail?" Ammie said with a grin.

"The very same." Her face was now as red as a candy apple.

"That gives Str..." she stopped herself, "Bob and I the house alone for lunch. I'm Ammie and I approve of this message."

Faith giggled, "Yeah, and then all heck breaks open because the people come flooding in, we may not get much private time from here out. We don't close until 2 in the morning." She added with a sigh.

"Love manages, and we are putting our feet forward now so maybe they will later." She looked at her watch, "I have to go check on the gift shop, and the restaurant. Tonight, after closing time..." she poked her, "I want details!"

"Quid pro quo, Ammie...enjoy lunch!" She said with a wink and trotted back off to the house to ready lunch.

…

Solok pulled a chair out for Faith after she laid out a modest spread on his desk, and he returned to his chair, disappointed that a desk now lay between him and his prize.

"You do know how to tempt...one of us, Faith," he purred, spearing a mushroom with his fork. "And your cooking is, as always, succulent."

He watched in satisfaction as she swallowed thickly. "Apple cider?"

"The cinnamon would lead to you and I both being late for our next tasks. Not that I am disagreeable to it. It makes your scent all the more potent."

She blushed, and quickly changed the subject. "So do you have any news on this McCarthy guy? We met him this morning, and he's just...blegh."

Solok's eyes widened, "Do not approach him yourself, whatever happens. If he is the smuggler then he will be armed and dangerous." He took a spoon full of the soup, eating it down his eyes closed, his beast reminding him how dangerous the company she was currently keeping was to her. His eyes flashed, "I will have some of the cider."

"But you said..."

Solok cocked his head slightly, and he was pleased to watch her pour it in the small cup she brought. "When you hand it to me say these ritual words." he leaned over the desk whispering the Vulcan words to her.

"_I am Faith, daughter of Rosemary...and I come to serve_," she whispered, handing him the cider. He downed it, smirking at her, and he handed it back to her, silently asking for more of the intoxicating liquid.

"_I am Solok, son of Sovar, and your service honors me._"

She poured him more, and he drained it, purring in pleasure as he set the cup aside and moved around the desk, slowly closing in on his prize.

"_You are mine now, Faith Cloverleaf_," he growled in her ear, sensuously sliding his hands over her shoulders. "_And I will make you bless the day you hired me to work with you._"

Faith's heart raced in her chest, and then Ammie's words came back to her, her friend had been bold, and now she had to find it within herself to be as bold. She swallowed thickly, running her fingers up the back of his neck, pulling him toward her. She slid a hand up the center of his chest pulling his flannel shirt down. "_I already do._" she bit the meat at the top of his peck, as she threaded her fingers into his dark hair.

Solok's eyes widened, and a growl erupted from his throat. He could smell her acutely, and now as she bit him, feeling her emotion, her nervousness, her desire, it all coursed through him, cutting him like her teeth had.

He groaned as his pants tightened, and it seemed she could feel what he felt as the restricting jeans bulged with his excitement. She pulled away from his chest, her lips stained with his blood, and she turned around in the chair so her legs were spread wide. Her teeth found a place lower on his chest, right above his nipple, and he growled, gripping her hair with beastly fervor.

"_Oh, Faith_," he murmured, knotting her hair. "_You do not know...how much this stirs my blood_..."

Her fingers trailed over his arousal, and he gasped.

"_I think I do_."

Solok found her mouth pressing his tongue between her lips he lunged, and they both fell to the ground in a heated tangle.

"Um, sir..." a young man said, knocking louder than before.

Solok pulled himself and Faith up, pushing her behind him. "What?" he said in a testy manner.

"I was supposed to...um...work, but, if you're busy..."

"No, no" Faith said apologetically. "Well, thank you for that demonstration of method acting."

The boy seemed to relax, "Oh thank God. I thought I walked in on something."

Solok calmed himself, "Of course, I'll see you this evening."

…

Ammie handed Sue a piping hot cup of cider and smiled at her. "You should probably go home, honey. It's going to get down to nearly freezing tonight. You should stay inside, ok? Happy October!"

Faith waved at the protester and shut the gate, locking it behind her.

"I worry about that girl sometimes..."

"Me too," Ammie agreed. "Hope she doesn't freeze to death...or that creepy McScarecrow doesn't find her out here and make her his camping buddy..."

"Oh, dear God...don't even go down that road with me, babe."

Ammie paused, hearing a voice coming down the path, and she recognized it as McCarthy's. "Speak of the devil..."

Faith lowered her voice, "Solok said we shouldn't approach him, but he didn't say anything about spying.." he pushed Ammie into the brush and down onto her knees, "Let's listen..."

They crawled through the brush slowly, until they could hear him clearly, and then they nestled down.

"Yeah, I'm here and I'm getting things set up."

"_What are the new owners like? Do you think you'll have to get rid of them?_"

"Nah,they are just a couple of dingy women," he said, spitting onto the ground. "There're a couple of guys working here though that I've talked to...they seem like, I don't know...Vulcans."

"_Vulcans_?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure though. When I'm sure I'll just kill them." He replied spitting, "I mean if they are...I won't draw extra attention for some geeks."

Ammie covered her mouth to stop the sound of her gasp, and once he was out of sight, she closed her eyes and relaxed.

The run back to the house was quick and frightening, but in front of the roaring fire, they slumped onto the rug and sighed in relief.

"Ok...he suspects something...what can we do to avoid this situation? We have to make this guy very sure that they are humans."

Faith was schooling her breathing trying not to hyperventilate. "They have to appear more human, doing human things...what are some things that Vulcans don't do in public?"

"They don't fight, touch, or laugh." Ammie rattled off, "I don't know how we'd get them to laugh..."

"We'd have to let them in on it if we fought with them, and they might come off as being stiff, and if they fought with each other...that might seemed contrived." Faith ran her hands through her hair.

"If we were seen holding their hands, kissing them...being affectionate, that might make them seem more human. It will make us seem less professional, but..."

"Oh sod the professionalism, we are going to Vulcan after this..." Faith said with a sigh.

"So should we let them in on this?"

"No," Faith breathed. "They'd just...I don't know what they'd do...I'm worried about them."

"Me too..."

The door opened, and they heard the men's voices in the kitchen.

"Ammie!" Strom called. "Are you here?"

"In here, _ashayam_!" she called, then breathed out, trying not to look as if she had just seen a ghost.

"Ammie...you're pale...I can hear your heart racing," Strom murmured as he sat beside her on the rug. She sighed.

"We're in a Halloween theme park, doctor. Faith here thought it'd be a great idea to sneak up behind me and pretend to be a serial killer. So I returned the favor."

Strom smirked, "Faith, attend. I would like to focus your abundance of energy elsewhere."

Faith looked at Ammie who nodded, "I think that is a good idea, Solok..." she reached out and took his hand fully, "Let's go outside..."

"It's cold out..."

"True, but I know where there's a fire." She looked at Ammie. "See you two later..."


	5. The Bonding

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**_

Strom brushed his hair into the neat combover he had been instructed to wear, and he straightened his clothes and smiled into the mirror. Ammie had given him a whirlwind of pleasure the night before, touching him, licking and caressing him...she had even sucked his fingers...just the thought of that was making them tingle, but he calmed himself and walked out the door.

Solok was just emerging from his room, looking tired and not at all proper, even for a human.

"You look..." He sniffed and smelled the sex lingering on him, and he flushed green.

"You didn't...?"

Solok nodded, "Many...many times..." he ran his hand through his hair pulling hay from the strands, "I believe...I screamed."

Strom's eyes widened, "I congratulate you on the increase of your house."

Solok looked away from him, "She...would not..." his jaws flexed, "Allow me to touch her face, she had me pinned much of the night. Perhaps she does not...desire me in in the more personal way. It was as if she was in..." he looked back at his friend, "her time."

Strom's eyebrows raised, "You mean that she used you for purposes of pleasure only, and will now disregard you?"

Solok nodded solemnly, "It seems...logical that is what transpired. I am not pleased. She truly stirs my _katra_, I will have no other, and her body..." he blinked realizing he was about to go into forbidden things, "I want her, and she knows of Vulcan customs yet...what do I do?"

Strom frowned. "I cannot give you any advice but to talk to her, and ask if she wants you in a more...permanent way. Perhaps this is a human custom we have overlooked."

Solok sighed and followed his colleague down to the kitchen, where Faith and Ammie were giggling.

Their giggles increased as the Vulcans strode into the room, and Faith pulled Solok down for a passionate kiss.

"_I'm sorry about refusing you last night,_" she whispered in heady Vulcan. "_But remember the mission. You never know who's watching._"

Solok growled, placing his hands on her face, "Then you do accept me."

Faith gasped, "Of course I do."

Solok looked into her eyes, "Then accept all of me."

Faith's knees went weak feeling the hidden agony of perceived rejection that was dissipating as he poured himself into her. His eyes widened, and he spoke in her mind. _You did it on purpose to protect me._

_Yes, my love I did. Please don't say anything to Strom. We didn't want either of you to be wiser, because we thought it might inhibit you._

Solok purred in her mind. _It will not inhibit me now. I have your humanity to draw on in my own performance._

Strom shifted and looked at Ammie who was beaming. "This will be us," he said assertively.

"One day," she murmured in his ear, kissing the rounded edge. "How many times have I said it? I want your pointed ears back..."

Strom raised an eyebrow. "Would you like to see a picture of me in my true form?"

She nodded eagerly, and he picked up his PADD from the table. He quickly accessed the database and showed her his picture, and she gasped, licking her lips.

"The things I will do to those ears," she breathed, stroking a finger down the picture. Strom quickly kissed her neck (Solok and Faith were occupied).

"What is your human obsession over Vulcan ears?"

"They're the thing that, at least externally, make you Vulcan. An outward sign of your species, my sweet. And not to mention...they look rather delicious..."

She shook herself from her reverie and handed him the PADD.

Solok pulled away from Faith, "I must work now..."

"I know..."

Solok looked and saw a glimpse of Strom as he truly is, "I don't know which is uglier, you now, or you as a Vulcan."

Strom blinked and a silence fell over the kitchen. Strom opened his mouth, "Your human banter has improved, Solok. Fascinating."

"Thank you." Solok returned with a smirk.

Faith watched as Solok and Strom left the room and on cue Ammie looked at her, "So, he really doesn't need time to rest between..."

"Nope, not a bit. You'll have a good time tonight. I've scheduled McCreep to clean out this area here," she pointed to the map, "so if you and Strom are there...he'll see something."

Ammie stood, "Never thought of myself as an exhibitionist but it's Halloween season and I'm doing it for a good cause!"

"Trust me, you'll forget quickly when you're outside."

Ammie giggled. "So what's on the agenda today?"

"We'll need to check on the restaurant and the gift shop...you can do Strom a favor and check on medical supplies...and I'll make sure Solok has plenty of makeup and supplies for the art department."

They giggled and set off on their respective tasks, and Ammie made note of the place she was supposed to meet Strom. The west side of the main building, near a water pump...and McCreep would get a good view from the entrance to the haunted maze.

…

Stom went about his day, there were a few scraped knees, nothing else of note. So far he had not been able to crack the frequency the smuggler was using for communication, but it was still early in the season.

He heard someone enter, and he closed the spying program on the padd, he remembered to smile as was the human way, and turned. "Ammie!" He got up and walked over to her. She was holding the supplies they had ordered for him earlier. "You didn't have to come all the way down here to drop these off."

Ammie grinned, "Well I kind of did."

He leaned over taking the supplies and he caught her scent, "I'm agree...glad you did."

Her voice dropped a bit, "How about you continue to agree with me...meet me tonight by the water pump near the end of the maze."

His thoughts flew to Solok and his romp in the hay, and his breathing increased as he fought for control.

"I will...see you tonight, then."

"See you, babe." She dared to plant a kiss on his ear, and he shivered, watching her leave with dark eyes. She shot him one more suggestive look, then left the cabin, heading back to work.

…

The moonlight overhead was nice and bright, and Ammie blessed it as she took up post by the water pump, staring up at the partially cloudy sky.

"Ammie?" she heard him whisper, and she smiled, turning around towards the dark side of the maze, where he was standing, watching her with dark eyes.

She strode towards him without another word and pulled him into the moonlight, and she gripped his hair tight as she locked lips with him, making sure to make their kiss as lustful as she could manage. He breathed in and moaned into her mouth, and she pulled away.

"Good evening, doctor. I was promised an examination..."

Strom responded quickly, kissing her with the same intensity she was giving. It seemed strange to him that both she and Faith had chosen and outdoor venue to have relation in, but...he stopped himself, there was no promise that they would have coitus this evening.

His hands slid up and down her back, "I am going to examine you, completely..." he whispered, letting his hands slip up toward her throat. "You are mine, and you will always be mine.

Ammie pushed his hands away from her face, "No, no...not until we do some more examinations."

…

McCarthy was just finishing the last task before the next hayride when he heard some more rustling. He put his shirt back on, and headed toward the sounds.

McCarthy rounded the corner and saw one of the owners shoving her hand down the doctor's pants, and the man moaned, loud and low. He raised an eyebrow and moved away from the place, their noises following him into the night. Well...there went that theory. Still, it would be best to make sure...

…

"Is he gone?" she whispered.

"It doesn't matter, Ammie," Strom growled, picking her up and smacking her bottom as he threw her over his shoulder. "You are going to get it tonight..."

She moaned pitifully as they strode off into the darkness, and she thought she saw a shadow move off towards the woods.

"I hope he bought that," she breathed.

Strom opened the door, still balancing Ammie on his shoulder, he shut and locked it, and then made for upstairs. He paused at the stairwell, then turned and walked toward Ammie's room; there were Vulcan things there, and he found that to be a most agreeable. "I will bond you tonight, and that is that."

"No arguments from me," she said, grinning from over his shoulder.

"That is a good thing." He nudged open the door with his hip, then quickly locked it behind him.

Faith heard the doors opening and closing, she grinned from under a sleeping Solok's arm draped over her body. "Congratulations on an increase of your house..."

…

Strom smirked in satisfaction as he awoke to a warm, now-familiar body in his arms, and he blinked away sleep and stared down at her, fast asleep on the pillow. He stroked his hands down her exposed flesh, brushing past her breasts, caressing her warm stomach...

A sudden thought came to mind, and he leaned down and inhaled the scent of her hair. It smelled appealing, but it could have been their activities last night, lingering on her flesh...

He kissed her temple and slipped out of bed, pulling on his discarded clothes. He quickly fetched a personal scanner from his room and entered to her still asleep, and he ran the scanner over her.

Ammie rolled over, the warmth that had been there was suddenly gone. Her hand slid out looking for her new husband. When he was not there her eyes shot open. "Strom?" she croaked.

"I am here." he replied.

She rolled over on her side and saw him standing with some kind of scanner, "What are you doing?"

"Just scanning." He said not ready to tell her, since through their bond he learned last night that she loved surprises.

"What are you scanning?" she said stretching so she could grab her robe and get up.

"Just scanning." Strom replied again with a hint of a smirk on his lips and then he folded the scanner up replacing it in his pack. He leaned down brushing his fingers over her fine cheek, "I must cleanse myself and get ready to work, _ashaya_. We will speak later." he sent to her calm through their bond, and a deep and abiding devotion.

"Darn it, you're already dressed...oh well. You have a good day, my sweet. See you at lunch?"

"Yes, Ammie. And tonight, you may gaze upon me as much as you wish."

She giggled and kissed his cheek as she stood, and she groaned, clutching her stomach.

"Before you go..."

He was already rifling through his pack, and he produced a painkiller and injected it into her neck. "That will ease the pain in the next few minutes. I look forward to seeing you at lunch."

…

"Holy hell," Faith croaked, feeling her mouth water at the sight of Solok as a true Vulcan. He looked even better than this form of himself, and she couldn't wait to get a hold of those ears.

Solok made the bond wide open so he could feel and hear her experience seeing him as a Vulcan. He smirked appreciatively. "You are agreeable to my true form?" he asked even though he knew.

"Very much so..." she gaped at the picture and then looked to him, nodding.

"That pleases me." he said straightening a moment before stroking his fingers over hers. "I must go now, and meet with Strom before the work day begins."

Faith pouted, "But I was going to make your breakfast."

Solok ran his fingers over the bite mark at her shoulder, "That also pleases me." he murmured whether about the bite or the breakfast, Faith couldn't tell. "Duty must come first though, _a'duna_. I will see you at lunch." He leaned forward, gently pulling her toward him. He nearly purred when she slid her arms around his neck kissing him deeply before he pulled away. "I will tug at our bond many times today, _ashaya_..."

…

Solok strode into Strom's office, "Good morning." he said in his best human accent, which had improved since the bonding.

"Good morning," Strom replied smiling gently, a smile that had increased in the ease. "There is no one else here but us." he added, "But let's maintain in case of interruptions shall we?" Strom chuckled to punctuate his human act.

"You're in a good mood today."

"So are you," the doctor replied, casually stretching his arms above his head. "I assume your...conquest went well?"

"Yes," Solok said. "She is..."

But no words really needed to be said. They both realized now how correct Sarek was in saying that human women were the sector's most underutilized narcotic. They were intoxicating and highly addicting, and already Strom wanted to be closer to Ammie, to watch her work, and he tugged at the bond.

"Wonderful," Strom finished belatedly.

Solok smirked and sat down at the table, he blinked a moment when he saw the readings on Strom's personal scanner. He reached for it but Strom grabbed it up, "Ask nicely."

"May I see it?" Solok replied in his best human voice.

"Yes." Strom said handing it over. His chest and shoulders raised as he handed Solok the readings.

"Fascinating." Solok said as he looked them over, "Congratulations on the increase of your house again."

"If our mission is as successful as I have been, then we will be up for promotions." Strom smirked.

Solok paused, then glanced around the office. "There is a compound my dad told me about...it's a fertility drug...made from _hagash_ fruit, if he recalls correctly. Anyway...you wouldn't happen to have some, would you?"

Strom blinked, then smirked. "You want me to inject Faith?"

Solok's gaze told the doctor everything, and Strom allowed himself to laugh. "Well...I'll see if Ammie can get some. However, I wouldn't get your hopes up. That drug is highly restricted, and getting it for a Halloween theme park? Unlikely."

Solok raised his eyebrow, "But..._hagash_ fruit itself is not."

Strom's head cocked, "I'll see what I can do. You may have already done what the fruit is intended for..."

"Perhaps, but..." he stood and chuckled again.

"I'll take care of it..."Strom waved him off, "Are you ready for the listening station today?"

"On schedule, doc." Solok strutted from the medic station grinning. Even as he passed their subject who gave him a "thumbs up"; the grin did not fade.


	6. The Disappearance

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed so far! We really appreciate your feedback! **_

Beth sighed and rubbed her hands together, watching the two ladies who ran the ranch lock up the gate and bid her goodnight, and she took a seat on the nearby stump. Her ride would be here in half an hour, and in the meantime, she might as well sit and enjoy the evening. It was cold, colder than she wished, but the stars were clear and the moon was bright. Her sign rested against her knees as she listened to the night, and she closed her eyes, letting her worries and cares slip away.

"Dude, what is that?"

"Probably just a scarecrow! Now come on! We need to be out of here before they wake up!"

"Well, they'll be wakin' up if you keep whispering like a noob! Hurry up, and toss over the TP!"

Beth opened her eyes and stayed very still, listening to their movements behind her, and once they climbed over the fence, she set her sign aside and walked up to the gate, watching them start on a tree.

"You shouldn't do that, you know!" she called, and they all jumped. "These people don't deserve your stupid pranks. I'm protesting their ranch, but they're still nice to me! Why don't you just go home, ok?"

The taller of the two boys glared over at the girl. "Shut up! You should be happy with what we are doing. It might make them shut down, and stop people from going to hell for playing in a corn field." His buddy laughed, and gave him a high five.

"Oh yeah, how about I take your car keys from the car you left over there and throw them so you have to ask the ladies for help, or you get caught," she retorted. "Seems to me I'm over on this side and you are clear over on that side, I could do it before you made it back!"

"Don't you dare, you little bitch!"

"Shh, someone will hear us...I don't wanna go to juvie again bro!"

…

McCarthy stopped where he was.

"What's the problem?" an alien accented voice asked from the communicator in his hand.

"I hear someone."

"I thought you said the pick up and drop off point for tonight was clear."

He shrugged, "It was...even though I have suspects I think are Vulcan. Tonight's pick up was clear..." he hid behind a tree and watched the movement. "Looks like some kids..."

"Take care of them, put them in with the shipment...we can always use more free help." the man on the communicator said gruffly.

McCarthy spat on the ground. "Have it your way, boss. I better get extra because this is extra work."

"You know you will. Signal when everything is ready for transport."

…

Beth ran towards the car, and she noted one of the boys trying to climb over the fence. She grabbed the aircar keys, locked the door, and ran off into the woods on the other side of the road, dropping the keys on her way. She slowly made her way back to the edge of the wood, but noted the boys weren't there anymore. Their car was still there, but there was nothing but silence. She looked behind her, but the other boy wasn't there, and she didn't hear footsteps.

She crossed the road and walked up to the gate, looking around for the boys in case they jumped her, but there was nothing but the wind. Then suddenly she felt as if she were dissolving, and she tried to scream, but it never left her throat. 

…

Ammie turned around as Faith and Solok traipsed down the stairs, and she frowned at the front yard. A tree was covered in toilet paper, but the effect was actually kind of nice, and worked with the theme. Whoever had done this hadn't gotten far with their prank, and perhaps had gotten spooked by something.

However, the police vehicles outside the gate were a concern, and she gestured for Faith to follow her.

"Good morning, ladies!" one officer said, striding up to the gate as they unlocked it. "Did you hear any disturbances last night?"

"No, I didn't. Did you, Faith?"

Faith shook her head, "No, I was..." she blushed in spite of herself, "Indisposed all night."

The officer grinned and then went very serious, "Well, that saves me from asking if you have someone to verify your alibi."

Faith crossed her arms over her chest. "Why would we need an alibi?"

He handed faith and Ammie three pictures. "Do you know or have you seen either of these three kids?"

Ammie and Faith looked them over, Ammie being the first to speak. "We know her. She protests out at the front gate every day, sometimes we giver her some hot cider on cold evenings. Why? Has something happened?"

"Those two boys were reported missing last night, and we found the oldest boy's air car parked not far from your gate. Do you mind if we take a look around. I'm betting you didn't put that toilet paper in those trees."

Ammie put her head on Faith's shoulder, Faith could feel her trembling. "Sure go ahead. Do you want us to close today?" Faith asked.

"We'll let you know depending on what we find we may ask that." The officer nodded and motioned for the other officers to move out.

Strom was waiting at the door, and he took Ammie into his arms once the door was closed. "What is the matter, _ashaya_?"

"Beth is missing," Faith replied. "Only with the two boys who so kindly decorated our tree last night. The police are working on it now."

The doctor nodded and pulled Ammie to his work station and gave her a very mild sedative. "It's all right," he whispered, stroking her hair. "The authorities will find them."

She nodded and got a hold of herself, and kissed him on the cheek before heading off to work.

…

Solok walked into the actor's barn. His people were slowly filing out in costume and there was a policeman waiting to speak with him at his desk. This was going to test his ability to behave human. He could not let on that he was investigating the smuggling ring, because the high command suspected that there may be local police ties with the illicit activity. He took a deep breath and strolled over.

"What can I do you for, officer?" He grinned slightly sitting on the edge of his desk, his hands flopped over his legs in a sloppy way. It felt uncomfortable to be so sloven about his posture, but he had witnessed that human males often carried themselves with such abandon.

The officer raised an eyebrow. "Well, I need to ask you a few questions. Where we you last night?"

"In bed. With my wife," he replied simply.

"Which one is your wife?"

"The blonde."

"She said something about "being indisposed". I don't blame you...it's freezing cold out...now this girl, Beth Halladay...did you know her?"

"No, I'd never met her before. Faith and Ammie always brought cider out for her on colder nights, but I never talked to her."

The officer nodded, satisfied with his answer. "And the boys?"

"Never seen them before. They...decorated the tree outside. I'm sure you saw it."

The officer seemed nonplussed, but then his eyes widened in comprehension. "Oh you mean the toilet paper, sure saw that."

"I suspect my wife might have me clean that out once we get the all clear from you. You know how women are..."

The officer smirked. "Yeah, they can be nags. How long have you been married to...which one did you say you were married to?"

Solok blinked, and he realized the moment this police officer left, he would have to send a message to the High Council to put the marriage on the official Earth database, so the paperwork looked legitimate. "Just a couple of days. It was a spur of the moment thing, you know...kind of like...Vegas."

The police officer raised both of his eyebrows. "Well she's younger than you, I say strike while she's willing. We older horses don't get to ride often." He chuckled. "Congrats."

Solok nodded and put his thumbs through the beltloops of his jeans, something Faith said would make him look more human.

"Thank you for your time. Contact us if you hear anything else, ok?"

"Sure thing."

…

"Yeah, I saw her at the gate every day, but I never spoke with her."

"And you were where last night?"

"With my wife."

"The little brunette?"

"That's her."

The officer snorted. "You and your friend are both lucky dogs."

"I'm the lucky one," he said quietly, sighing. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

The officer shook his head and walked out of the office, and Strom watched them go. He didn't feel confident that he had been human enough in his responses, and he listened to their conversation as they walked away.

"I think the actor is clean, but let's keep an eye on that doctor. He seems...shady."

"Any more shady than the hayride guy? Come on, Brad, I think that doctor is just nervous about his new marriage or something."

"Or maybe he's nervous because he killed a bunch of people and doesn't want us to know about it. We'll keep an eye on him."

"It's not the doctor," the younger officer said. "I'd swear to it in a court of law."

…

Solok walked into the first aid barn just in time to see him gently placing a "My Little Pony" bandage on a little girl's knee. "There you go," Strom said, shaking his head in confusion.

"Thank you, doctor!" She grinned, eying her newly acquired badge of honor. She slid from the table and skipped out past Solok.

"Did you not use the regeneration device on her?" Solok asked, shutting the door.

"I did, but she...demanded an adhesive bandage so she could show all of her classmates that she had been injured."

"That is...highly illogical."

"What do you have to report?" Strom asked, putting away the cartoon band-aids.

The policeman who interrogated me did not seem to think I am a suspect, or anything other than human."

Strom nodded, then sighed. "I was not so fortunate. You, apparently, are more talented at appearing human than I. The one who questioned me suspects I killed the girl, and the young men who pranked the ranch."

At that moment, Ammie slid into the cabin, soon enough to hear his predicament. "They'll realize the truth soon enough," she reassured him, stroking his back. "If they come back, be sure to use more contractions, and put yourself as close to the situation as possible. Don't say "that girl" but rather "the girl" or even just Beth. You don't want to distance yourself semantically from the crime, otherwise, they'll think you're lying."

"How do you know this?" he whispered, stroking her cheek with the backs of his fingers.

"Psychology class, sweetheart. Now, are you ready to eat? Faith's already got the vegetable soup on to cook."

"I am hungry," Strom admitted, holding his two fingers up so she could stroke them.

"Not like that right now..." She slid her fingers between his, taking his hand.

"And not in front of me," Solok said, looking away.

"Said the man who sucked his fingers like a _sehlat_ kit on it's mother's teet just the other night," Strom grumbled.

Changing the subject, Solok added as they left, "I alerted the High Council about our need for documentation on the marriages as well."

"Good thinking," Strom said, squeezing Ammie's hand with gentle pressure. "I think nothing will happen for a while..." He nodded toward the road, where a darkened police car sat in the neighboring cornfield.

Ammie nodded and wrapped her arm around him as they made their way to the house, and Faith met them at the door. "Soup's on!" she said, gesturing to the kitchen.

Over dinner, Strom informed them of his predicament, but Faith assured him that McCarthy was much more obvious in his untrustworthiness that the doctor was likely to not even be noticed again.

The dishes were clear, and Solok pulled Faith into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. "When do you lock the gate?"

"Ammie's going to lock it..."

"Good...then I have time to make another alibi?"

She giggled. "Indeed you do, _ashayam_." She turned off the light as they slipped into bed, and her smile was as bright as the moon shining through the window.


	7. The Arrest

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**_

Solok caught Strom before he went downstairs to fix breakfast. "I need to you do examine Faith today."

Strom blinked, "Oh, you suspect you have..."

"It is my desire that I have. Have you informed Ammie yet of her situation?"

Strom frowned, "I was going to yesterday, but with the advent of the missing people I thought it best not to speak on it just yet."

"A wise notion." Solok was about to step away when Strom stopped him.

"What if Faith does not desire an examination?"

"Use any means needed to get her to an examination. Perhaps, if you were seen arguing it would make people think you are human."

Strom nodded, "That is a rather genius idea Solok. I will do that. Are you conducting a sweep of the area today?"

"I am."

"Good luck."

Solok smirked, "Thank you."

Faith was busy washing dishes (Ammie was working on laundry) when Strom appeared at her side and started drying the dishes for her.

"Thank you, doctor. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Indeed. Your husband has insisted that I examine you."

She frowned and put the last dish on the drying rack, and he dried it quickly, putting it away. "I don't need an examination. I feel fine. Why does he want me examined?"

"He has his reasons. He allowed me to use whatever means necessary to get you on my examination table, and I intend to do just that. It is for your own good."

"Hey, I'll decide when I need an examination, doctor. Thank you, but no thanks."

"Very well," he sighed, picking her up and slinging her over her shoulder.

"Doctor, you put me down right now!"

Ammie came running into the room and started laughing at the sight. "Well, ashayam, is one woman not enough for you?"

He frowned apologetically. "I do not want to touch her in this manner, but Solok insisted that I examine her."

She laughed. "Don't resist, Faith! Just go with the flow!"

Strom nodded, "Though, not too much with the flow, this struggle may make me appear more human to the police."

"Oh lord," Faith groaned, "Onward, Dr. Bob! I will struggle indeed! But not half as much as when I see Solok tonight...he's gonna get it for this!"

Strom walked forward and Faith squirmed on his shoulder. "Put me down, doctor! I don't need any of your voodoo-hoodoo medicine on my person!" she cried out after he walked out the door.

"Stop struggling, Faith! I mean to examine you and I will!"

"Seriously, stop struggling?" she whispered.

"No, keep struggling."

"Oh I just didn't..ok..." she whispered and struggled further. "Get your antiseptic hands off me...I'll scream!"

"You already are, now shut your pie hole!" He kicked in the door to the first aid shack and entered, slamming the door behind him.

…

Strom shoved the scanner across the desk and let Solok examine it. "A few days pregnant," he said simply, leaning back in his chair. "You succeeded in your objective."

"So it seems," Solok replied quietly, his hand gripping the scanner as if it might jump out of his hand at any moment. "You are certain of this?"

"There are no mistaking those signs. The same signs that Ammie exhibits now...she will know soon enough."

Solok looked as if he might smile, but then controlled his expression. "Did you inform her?"

"No, I left that honor to he who is her husband."

The younger Vulcan nodded. "Very well. I will inform her after the morning meeting. If you will excuse me..."

"I rejoice with thee, Solok."

"And I with you."

Strom got up and walked to the door, "One more thing, Solok."

"Yes?"

"She was most agitated that I...that you pressed the issue of this examination." Strom blinked, "I might wait until evening to see her, I find humans ire often cools over time."

…

Faith broke away from her duties and headed to the actor's barn. She was still a bit miffed and she needed to talk to Solok about it. She knew with being married to a Vulcan, there were "things" to get used to, their abruptness was one of them. She didn't know how much good it was going to do to talk to him about this, but she wanted to know what was up with the forced check-up.

The moment she walked into the barn, she felt as if something was wrong. There was no one there. She looked down at her watch, and shook her head. It was 12:30, he was probably having the meeting with the other actors. She bit her lip, wondering if she should wait for him and talk to him later. Just as she looked away from her watch the lights went out, and the door closed. The barn was pitch black.

Faith opened her mouth to speak, but a hand covered it, and everything went dark.

…

Ammie kissed Strom on the cheek as he set lunch in front of her, and a few moments later, he was sitting beside her with his own plate. There was no need to talk, as Strom had no need to feign being human anymore (at least not around her), so they both heard Solok's footsteps as he stepped onto the porch and walked into the house.

"Where is Faith?" he asked immediately, looking around at the empty kitchen and the unoccupied chair at the table. Ammie raised an eyebrow.

"I thought she was with you?"

Solok frowned, and Strom encouraged him to eat before doing anything else. "She probably needed to check on something at the gift shop and will be along in a little while."

They continued their meal, the ease of it gone now that Solok was fidgeting like a two-year-old. "Can't you talk to her through the bond?" Ammie asked. "I haven't been bonded to Strom for long. I don't know how to turn the connection off. He can probably sense everything I'm thinking right now."

Solok frowned, "I felt the bond shut today as I was in the meeting with the ghosts. I believe she is angry with me and is closing off until she speaks with me. The last thing I felt from her was the intense desire to speak with me."

Strom swallowed some of his roll, "Solok, perhaps it was unwise of us to behave as we did. Our wives wanted vulcan husbands for a reason. We have been behaving like clod human men."

"Perhaps, but I had to know." Solok said fingering his fork with a frown.

Ammie grinned, "Faith doesn't hold grudges, guys. We just don't do that. She'll talk to you, and it will be said and done."

Solok nodded, "I am agreeable to that, Ammie. I..."

"You miss her already." Strom said, outing Solok to his emotions.

Solok's eyes narrowed at Strom, "I do not, I simply find the closing of the bond an illogical response."

Ammie laughed, "Yeah he misses her!"

"She will return here and speak with you momentarily, I am sure of it."

…

Faith did not show herself for the rest of the day, and no matter how many times Ammie assured him that Faith was not the kind to mope and sulk, he paced relentlessly in the living room, avoiding Tiger, who patted at his pants cuffs each time he passed. Ammie left him to it and found Strom in the kitchen, washing up from dinner.

"I'm absolutely serious. Faith would have shown herself by now. I know it."

Strom nodded. "I do not think she is staying away of her own volition."

"You think she was-"

Before she could finish her sentence, she jumped slightly at the sound of a knock at the door. She ran to answer it and found the police from earlier standing on the porch.

"Do you have news?" she asked desperately, forgetting that they probably hadn't received a missing persons report yet.

The policeman frowned. "We received a missing person's call thirty minutes ago. We're going to have to ask your husband to come with us to the station for questioning."

Strom stepped forward. "Excuse me?"

"We got an anonymous tip, doctor, that Ms. Cloverleaf was missing, and the last person she was seen with was you. The two of you were fighting." He motioned for the other policeman to step forward. "We found her hair, and some of her blood around the door of your first aid station. I'm afraid you are going to have to come with us and answer a few questions."

Strom's eyes widened. "This is absurd! Faith is my friend, and my wife's best friend."

"When was the last time any of you saw her?"

"I saw her this morning, when Bob took her off for a check-up," Ammie said firmly. "She knew what was going on. We were playing around, and any blood you found is either there by accident or planted. My husband isn't a criminal."

"No one is saying that he is, but the evidence does not look very promising for him. I'm afraid you'll have to come with us, Dr. Morris."

"I'm going with him."

The policemen exchanged glances, then nodded. "Fine. But odds are, we'll be keeping him overnight."

…

"What is your relationship with Ms. Cloverleaf like, Dr. Morris?"

"She is a," He stopped himself, he wanted to speak in his normal vulcan way, it would make this questioning so much easier not to have to change his speech patterns, "A friend. I do not know her well, but I know my wife loves her and because of that she has my respect as well."

The policeman slid a picture across to him, "Does that look respectful to you?"

He looked down; it was him carrying her across the yard over his shoulder. "It was a game. Nothing more, her husband told me to do that if she didn't want to get her check-up. He wanted to see if he had...you now...knocked her up."

"Odd way to see if your friend had knocked his wife up." The policeman started pacing, but Ammie fixed him with an exasperated stare.

"You can drop the bad-cop routine. We like to joke around, that's none of your business. Greg knew what he was asking, Faith knew what would happen, I knew it, Bob here knew it...a harmless joke, officer. Nothing more."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Atwood, but I have to consider the implications of our evidence...blood on the door-"

"She must have cut her hand when I was carrying her in the door," Strom said calmly. "I didn't see it. I was more concerned with scanning her abdomen for signs of life."

"And is she pregnant?"

"Yes."

"Does that make you angry?"

"No," Strom replied. "I am happy that Faith is pregnant. Greg will be a father...no one can ask for a greater honor than that. Why would I be angry, officer?"

"Maybe you were hoping you'd get her pregnant."

"I have a wife." Strom growled, "One I am more than pleased with!"

"Yeah, but why settle for one when you can have two?"

Strom started to growl. "Because one is all I want!"

The cops looked at each other. "Temper on this one. I bet if someone turned him down, he'd get really ticked off. Or, maybe this baby was his, and she wouldn't leave her current husband."

Strom stood. "You have a vivid imagination. It seems your occupation should be writers rather than officers of the law!"

The elder cop sniffed. "We are keeping you overnight. We have enough evidence...we'll be looking fore more."

The younger cop looked to Ammie. "We are going to process your husband in, I suggest going home and getting some rest...and in the morning calling your lawyer."

Ammie stood and took Strom's hand, and he turned to her, his gaze softening.

_Don't give in...they're baiting you, and you know it.___

_They suggest I would have sexual relations with another woman-__  
_

_Like I said...they're baiting you. Just keep your head down, and we'll talk tomorrow, ok?_

He paused. "Ok," he said slowly, cupping her cheek. "I will see you tomorrow, beloved."

"Sleep well, sweetheart. This is nothing. You'll be out before you know it."

"All right, lady, move it along. Enough pillow talk. We've got work to do."

…

Ammie got into her air car and drove off. She was angry and trying to calm Strom, it wasn't working because she was angry. Then it occurred to her, her best friend was missing and there was blood on Strom's door. She knew Strom hadn't done anything, but they got the blood from Faith...her eyes began to water. What if this drug guy had killed her?

A tear slipped down her cheek. Suddenly this was the worst day ever. Her new husband was in jail, her best friend was missing, three other people were missing...why did they have to come to this Halloween fun park? They were supposed to be the one's scaring people, not all this...and what if they never got to go to Vulcan like they always dreamed?

She blinked through the tears as she pulled into the lane. The gate was closed, and there was a log in front. She pulled off to the side of the road, then got out of the car and walked over to the log. A crack of thunder echoed overhead. Large drops of water hit her back as she tried to lift the log so she could pass, and another crash of lightning and thunder rolled through the sky when she felt a hand slip over her mouth. Everything went dark.


	8. The Plan

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**_

Beth felt tears sting her eyes as she saw another figure beamed into their tiny storage room, and she crawled over to the body, ignoring the boys, who were still whining and freaking out like little pansies, even after 12 hours in this place. It was Faith, the blonde owner of the ranch, and she brushed her hair back, examining her for injuries.

Faith blinked awake and tried to sit up, but Beth gently held her down. "Let me make sure you're not hurt, ok?" she whispered, and Faith frowned at her.

"You're ok!"

That was enough to make her start crying. "Yeah...they haven't hurt us, but they have weapons. Are you ok? Do you think you're injured?"

"No, I'm alright...damn it...I need to contact my husband...Greg is probably freaking out by now, and Ammie and Bob...where are we?"

"We don't know, but I think we're in orbit. They always beam boxes in here, and then men come and unload it. Then they beam the boxes away."

On impulse, Beth wrapped her arms around Faith, hiding her tears. "I'm sorry I protested you. Do you forgive me?"

Faith patted her on the head. "You were just doing what you thought was right. It's ok, kid, it's ok. Now, do you know what time the boxes beam in and out?"

Beth nodded and sniffed. "3 A.M."

Faith looked around. "I think we can work with that...somehow."

…

Solok was scouring the compound trying to find Faith, but there was no trace of her left. He was about to head back to the house when he received a call on his PADD from Strom.

"Greg, I have been trying to get a hold of Ammie for several hours now. I need to be picked up."

Solok raised his eyebrow in reflex. "She is not with you?"

"An illogical question, Solok. The surprise in your eyes is that you do not..."

Solok raised his hand as he approached the gate. "Ammie's car is here and is abandoned."

Strom closed his eyes, breathing in slowly. "They must have taken her as well..."

Solok snorted impatiently, and headed back to the house. "I will be there momentarily. We will be closed today, and will remain closed until we find them."

"Agreed. I do not feel anything from her. I believe she might be unconscious."

He nodded. "I believe Faith may be awake. I feel worry and nervousness from her...not outright panic. Ammie is likely with her."

"Let us hope so."

…

Ammie groaned as she came to consciousness, but she smiled as she saw Faith hovering over her, manually checking her for injuries. "Hey, sister...what happened to you? Where are we?"

"Beth thinks we're on a ship."

"Beth is here? She's ok? Thank God...I thought McCreepster had...well, you know..."

Beth cried a little again and hugged Ammie around the neck. "I'm so sorry for-"

Ammie patted her. "Be sorry later..." She looked over and saw the boys sniveling in the corner. "You two, you better be helpful now and when we get out of here, or I'm turning you in for vandalism."

The two nodded their heads and muttered that they would help. Ammie looked down at Beth. "Get the boys organized for a minute while Faith and I talk."

Beth crawled over to the boys, and once she was out of earshot, Ammie looked at Faith. "Have you tried to contact Solok yet?" she whispered.

"No, I've only been awake a few minutes myself. Apparently two guards come out when the boxes materialize in that center platform. It takes exactly 20 minutes for them to unload the contents, and then the boxes beam down again."

Ammie bit her lip. "Do you think we can jump the guards and go down with the boxes?"

"I think it is our only shot. We'll need help no doubt...thank goodness we're bonded."

"Yeah, thank our lucky stars. Let's try contacting them...see what happens."

"Solok is tugging on our bond...is Strom tugging yours?"

"You mean that niggling feeling in the back of my head?" she whispered. "Like someone's trying to tug my brain out of my skull?"

"Yeah...same feeling here. Tug back and let him know you're not injured."

…

"She is responding," Solok said aloud, breathing out in relief.

"So is Ammie. They are not injured, it seems, only prisoners."

Solok pulled into the camp and walked with Strom up to their rooms. He pulled out two phase pistols. "We will proceed to talk to them via our bonds, perhaps make a plan that way."

Strom nodded. "That is agreeable."

…

Faith grabbed her head and fell on her rear. "Yes I hear you," she said out loud.

_Do not speak out loud, Faith. Just think your words and I will hear them._

_Can Ammie do this too?_

_Not with us, but let me know your thoughts, ashaya...and when I do I will withdraw so Strom and I can make a plan._

She relayed the information to him, and he fed her calm and peace as he withdrew his thoughts from the bond, concentrating on Strom, who was apparently still talking to Ammie.__

"Strom," he said gently, and the doctor shook himself from his reverie, blinking in surprise.__

"We will have to teach them aggressive neuropressure."__

The doctor nodded. "My thoughts exactly. And though I am concerned that our cover has been destroyed, I do not regret sacrificing this mission to save she who is my wife, and she who is your wife. Their safety is paramount, and Ammie said the hayride operator intended to kill us. He doubts that we are Vulcan now, but it is time to close in on him and complete this mission."

Solok hung his head. "We will not be able to catch the person in charge of this operation..." He took a breath. "Unless...we are able to seize all the drugs after we rescue our wives. Once we have this hayride man in custody, we will be able to use his device to seize the ship."__

"Then we will make it so," Strom said with a nod. "For now, it is time to teach our wives the aggressive tactic."

…

Ammie blinked out of her second contact with Strom. "Did you get it, Faith?"

"I think so." She motioned for one of the boys to come to her, and she pinched him out once his shoulder was in arm's reach. As he fell, she suppressed the desire to cheer. "Yup, got it, now all we have to do is wait for the guards."

Beth giggled. "Good riddance. Now we don't have to hear him whine." 

…

Ammie looked at the floor as the smugglers came into the room, and all except for one ignored them as they began unpacking their goods. The only one watching them had a phaser, but one of the others called him away to help her with a package.

Beth eyed them both, and Ammie slowly stood, waiting on Faith to stand before slowly advancing on the smugglers.

"Look at that, Crissie...that'll be enough to pay your bills for five more years!"

Crissie laughed bitterly. "Don't I wish! I won't get enough to buy myself some new clothes with the amount he takes out with every shipment."

Ammie grabbed the other smuggler's shoulder and pressed his nerves, and he collapsed. The other criminals didn't notice, and Faith disabled Crissie before she could cry out. By the time the others turned around, Ammie and Faith were already pressing on their shoulders, and they crumpled to the floor.

"All right, everyone needs to get into these boxes. Quickly. We only have maybe fifteen minutes to clear this stuff."

…

Solok brought out his scanner but Strom pushed it down. "Think about it, Solok. Every time we have manned a device we have, he has escaped detection. If there is a ship nearby, then it is cloaked, whether Romulans are involved or not...they have Romulan technology."

Solok sighed. "We will have to do this the hard way then."

"Like stalking through the Forge for water during our test."

Solok blinked. "You did not use the cave at the edge of the Gateway?"

Strom frowned. "No..."

"Ah..." he said with a smirk.

"What cave?"

"Nevermind. We must find this smuggler before he discovers our wives in his supposedly empty boxes."

Strom shivered slightly at the thought of Ammie being found by the head of this operation, then set his thoughts back on finding Ammie.

They passed the actor's barn and walked on into the woods, and Solok gripped his phaser a little tighter, listening with all his might for any noise or breathing, or footsteps. Strom was listening too, and watching the ground for twigs that might give them away.

There was no sound for several minutes but the whisper of the wind in the trees, and a wolf howling in the distance. The moon was bright and cold, lending them some light, but they had to rely on their superior night vision to avoid colliding with trees or getting scraped by branches.

"Do you see the light up ahead?" Solok murmured, pointing off to their left. Strom could see the bobbing of flashlights, and they looked at each other once, then set off through the trees, silently flitting from tree to tree.

Strom could hear himself breathing, and he could hear the footsteps coming toward him. He swallowed, calculating that they had five more minutes before the next beamout. He caught glimpse of Solok in the silver of the moonlight.

A shadow passed by both of them, they caught each other's eyes and nodded. They slipped silently from their hiding places and followed, their footsteps as soft as a _sehlat_ on the prowl.

Up ahead, there was a small campfire, and the skeletal figure stood before the fire. He was nervous and twitching. Strom thought he might be on the drugs he was shipping.

Strom and Solok got to the edge of the clearing, then stopped. If they pounced too soon, they might lose their wives, but too late and the smuggler might harm them before he and Solok can make their moves.

In the distance, birds broke into flight, crying into the wind that there was evil afoot.

…

Ammie closed her eyes, waiting for Strom and Solok to disable the man before they could get out of the boxes. Faith sat beside her, covering her mouth as to not attract the man's attention, and they stiffened even further as they heard footsteps pacing in front of their boxes.

She reached down and gripped Faith's hand, closing her eyes to steady herself. She heard the box lid opening, and she stifled her gasp as she looked up at the drug boss, shivering as his eyes made her blood run cold.


	9. The Night

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to Scarlettbrandi and vulcangiggles for reviewing!**_

Ammie and Faith clung to each other, each holding their breath as they saw their end written on the face hovering above them. "This is going to hurt," Ammie whimpered, and Faith pulled her in tighter in a protective grip.

They closed their eyes and heard the zap of phasers going off. They both flinched, but in the next breath they realized they felt no pain. They both opened their eyes just in time to see the creep fall backward, and two hands reach down into the box toward them. They released each other and blindly grabbed the masculine lifelines.

Faith wrapped her arms around the man who pulled her out, pressing her lips against him with both gratitude and passion. Ammie mirrored her friend, and rubbed at the cheeks of her savior. Both men gratefully returned the affection...for a moment, before they realized Strom had Faith, and Ammie was kissing Solok.

Both girls pulled away and muttered embarrassed apologies. Ammie looked at Faith with wide eyes. "Sorry..."

Faith shrugged and moved toward her husband. "It was dark..." She shrugged and embraced him.

Strom grimaced and pulled Ammie to his body. "My apologies, Solok. Your wife is right, and it seems my vision is not what it used to be."

Ammie wasn't sure why, but she felt the urge to laugh, and laugh she did. Faith joined in, giggling like little schoolgirls who had just gotten their first kiss.

"I'm sorry about that, Solok," she said apologetically, wrapping her arms around her husband. "How did you find us?"

"Through a logical process of elimination," Strom said, as if it were obvious, and Ammie rolled her eyes.

"Obviously," she muttered with a grin. "But how?"

"We realized he was most likely hiding the drugs in these woods, camping near them so he could protect them, and he had a very narrow window of transaction. He would have to hide them nearby so he could make his deals almost directly after his shift ended. As for this..." Strom trailed off for a second and muttered a Vulcan curse word under his breath. "He has long been suspected of drug trafficking. Vulcan and Earth authorities have been searching for him for a long time."

Ammie nuzzled Strom's neck. "I'm just glad you made it here before he could get his hands on us."

Strom stroked her hair and kissed her temple. "It has ended well, _ashaya_." He pulled her closer, feeling her body shake as the adrenaline wore from her system, He lifted her chin and looked deep into her eyes. "No other ending would suffice, my wife."

The pads of his fingers traced over her cheekbone, pushing back a stray lock of her dark hair so he could caress the roundness of her ear. He caught the bottom of her lip with the thumb of his other hand, caressing it gently. There was a moment of silence, and then he bent to kiss her.

Solok grabbed Faith by the waist, turning her into a dip, and he kissed her hard. He was so swift in his movement that Faith lost balance falling backward, so Solok picked her up, wrapping her legs around him. He pulled back, as if to say, "now, that is me."

"We will have to leave tonight, Faith. We must beam up to the ship with him, and take it back to Vulcan so justice may be served. We will be gone some time."

Faith was still panting slightly from the wanton kiss, but she nodded. "Ok...but...you'll be back, right?"

"We will be gone a week at most," Strom assured her, then stroked Ammie's hair again. "It will not be long."

"I'll miss you," she whispered, kissing him again, and he cupped her face in his hands.

"You of all people should know that I am always with you," he replied gently, tilting his head. "Parted and never parting, remember?"

"Strom is right," Solok said. "We are always together."

Ammie nodded and slowly backed away, giving them room to beam up. "Be safe, ok? We'll see you in a week's time."

"Any later and you'll get it," Faith growled, then grinned at her husband. Solok smirked.

"I will bear that in mind, wife."

Ammie and Faith put their arms over each other's shoulders, and the woods filled with the sparkling light of the transporter beams taking their husbands and the creep away. A few seconds later, Faith sighed. "It's bloody dark out here. We should have asked them for a flashlight or something."

Ammie turned to respond but they heard the muffled cries of the kids in the other boxes. "Oh shoot, Faith, we gotta get these kids out and home!"

…

Solok took the controls as Strom checked the makeshift holding cells. "It is definitely a Romulan designed ship," Solok said, "and the Earth Standard is poorly translated in the controls." He blinked and pointed at the console. "Can you see this? The Standard is terrible."

Strom nodded. "No doubt it was a rushed job. Everyone is secure, and I advise that we maintain the cloak on the way back to Vulcan. I would not wish to run into Federation ships in this second rate Romulan ship."

Solok frowned. "It will drain our power reserves, making it a full two days longer before we arrive."

"It is not how we would wish it, Solok, but it is the most logical action."

Solok sighed. "Agreed. Do the food replicators have an agreeable selection?"

"No. But It does have a facility where I can undo our cosmetic alterations."

"That is the most agreeable thing I have heard all week."

"More agreeable than discovering you have filled your new wife with child?" Strom asked with the tiniest of smirks.

"Then it is the second most agreeable thing I have heard all week." He turned to Strom, who was taking his place at the com. "We did not tell them..."

Strom pursed his lips. "Perhaps they will not know until we get back."

…

Ammie slid the ears onto her head and frowned at her reflection in the mirror. "I never thought I'd ever be a _sehlat_ for Halloween. Everyone's going to think I'm a grizzly bear."

Faith snorted and adjusted her bright green top. "At least you could make a few modifications to a bear costume and pass as a _sehlat_. I don't think any Halloween store on this planet has heard of a _le-matya_ outfit."

"You look really cute, though," Ammie said, making sure her tail was secure. "I feel...weird. I've felt weird ever since Strom left. Do you think it's the bond?"

"Maybe. Though I don't think stomachaches are a symptom of being parted from your husband. However...I've felt it too."

"Being nauseous?"

"Yeah," she sighed, fetching a bag of crackers from her bedside table. "Want one?"

"You must be reading my mind."

Faith sipped some tea and noshed on some crackers. "My ears are straight, and..." she turned and looked at her bottom, "my tail is straight...I was going to wear the fangs but I'm a little too gaggy for that."

"We probably picked up a stomach bug from the bobbing for apples event we did last week," she muttered, standing up from the make-up mirror. "Whatever it is, I hope we're better when Strom and Solok come back."

"You and me both, but that doctor husband of yours might be able to fix us up quick when they do get back. In the mean time, this is the big last night party. Let's try to have some fun, shall we?"

…

Strom straightened his robes and matched Solok's stride as they walked onto the grounds again, searching the crowds for their wives. Solok had been nearly unbearable without Faith, but he knew it was the "fresh-bond" jitters. He had felt them too, and had probably seemed just as intolerable to Solok as he had been to Strom.

He tried his hardest not to look scandalized at the skimpy costumes around him, but he had to admit, some were rather creative. The veritable cornicopea of color around him almost made his eyes hurt, but his inner eyelid slid into place, easing the pain of looking at the colorful costumes.

"Do you see them?" he murmured to Solok. It was strangely more exciting to hunt them down than to simply ask through the bond where they were, and they had both decided to surprise their wives instead of inform them that they had arrived.

Solok paused, his eyes locked on a target. "Ammie is over there...Faith must not be far from her."

Strom's eyes widened, "She is a...what only could be described as..."

"A sexy _sehlat_," Solok finished with a smirk.

Strom nodded slowly, suppressing the urge to purr. "Indeed..." He motioned to the green and yellow costume to Ammie's right. "That is, I believe, Faith."

"Poison me, little _le-mayta_..." he whispered and began to stride forward.

Strom caught him by the arm. "Put the hood on your robe up."

"Why?"

"Because we are going to engage in a human custom..."

"Which is?"

"We are going to hit on our wives."

Solok blinked. "We stand out in Vulcan robes, Strom. They will know it is us right away."

Strom frowned. "True."

"Though, I do have costumes in the actor's barn. If you wish to engage in some kind of disguise..."

Strom nodded, and Solok's eyes glittered with anticipation. "Then come, quickly."

…

Faith poured herself another glass of punch, and she frowned when she felt fingers ghost across the small of her back. It felt deliberate, and it made her shiver. She turned to confront the culprit, but she couldn't help but notice he looked very familiar somehow. He was dressed as a vampire, a little more frightening than the usual fare she saw around her, and she took a step back.

"Did you touch me?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps I did," he murmured. "Does that displease you?"

She put her hand on her hip and cocked her head sideways. "Yeah, it does, please don't do it again." She looked him over. "I'm a married woman, and touching me is reserved for my husband only. Good costume though, and Happy Halloween..."

She made to turn around but the "Dracula" grabbed her hand, pulling her into his chest. "What did I just say?" she grumbled, and made to slap his face.

He caught her hand easily and bent into her ear. "Oh, _ashaya_...such loyalty," he whispered. "Hush...I am here."

Faith gasped, feeling him tug at their bond, and she grinned up at him, recognizing him now as her beloved Solok.

…

Ammie checked on the food table. She was hungry, but nothing sitting out looked good. The crowd was getting on her nerves, and if she had to explain that she wasn't a bear one more time she was going to throw a caramel apple at someone. Thinking of that, she saw that they needed more candy and apples out on the table. She walked around the table, heading for the house to bring more out when she felt a hand tweak her tail and make a growling sound.

She turned around, gasping in shock, and she frowned at the man standing there, who looked quite pleased with himself.

"You look lovely dressed as a _sehlat_," he purred, stepping closer. He was dressed as a pharaoh, and she had to admit, he looked really good, and oh so familiar...

"Have we met?" she whispered, taking a step back. The man was handsome, but he wasn't her husband.

"We have, Ms. Atwood."

"So you know my name. Not that impressive," she said, turning her back to him. She felt his hand come down on her shoulder, making her jump, and she was surprised he was that strong...

"I know your name...and your body quite well, _ashaya_," he whispered, leaning down to nuzzle her ear.

Ammie turned and jumped into his arms. "Strom!" she squealed, wrapping her partially furry arms around him. "I didn't even recognize you with all that make-up on." She pulled back and kissed him furiously. After several long minutes, she pulled back and saw the make-up around his mouth was gone, and now a Dracula, that must be Solok, and Faith were coming toward them.

"I am going to finish taking off the make-up, and I am sure Solok will do the same. We have several surprises for you both."

"I can't wait," she murmured into his neck, as her fingers made to find his ears.

He caught her wrist. "No, no, _ashaya_...you will see later."

She pouted up at him. "But I want to touch them now," she whispered, leaning into him. He caught her other wrist and smirked down at her, shaking his head.

"Later, my little minx. You'll have your time to explore my ears. However, I do believe you were going back to the house for something?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we need more candy and caramel apples. Care to help me, sweetheart?"

He swiftly kissed her neck, then let go of her wrists. "Come, little _sehlat_. To the house."

Faith watched them go, resting her hands on her hips. "They're so darn cute together...Solok?"

"Yes, _ashaya_?"

"Are stomachaches common when a bonded couple is parted?"

He raised an eyebrow, contemplating her question, then smirked. "Only when the female is pregnant."

Faith's eyes widened and she grabbed his cape. "What?"

"When bond mates are parted and the female is pregnant, she has stomachaches, until her bonded is nearby." He caressed her stomach. "Have yours subsided now?"

Faith didn't know what she wanted to do, faint or slap his hand, because apparently he knew something she did not. "Are you saying that I am pregnant?" she managed through a sudden dry throat.

"Three weeks, two days, four hours and...thirteen minutes...roughly." He gently pressed his hand just under her naval. "It seems your stomach is firming already. Fascinating."

"You knew before you left?" Faith asked, staring down at his hand, which strangely felt good pressing as it was.

"I did, it is why I had Strom scan you. I wanted to assure myself that you were properly full. You are."

Her mouth fell open. "And...Ammie?"

Solok pursed his lips and blinked a yes. A moment later, his arms were full with a fainted female _le-matya_.

...

Ammie frowned as Solok carried Faith in, and it seemed her friend had either fallen asleep or had passed out. Or maybe he had pinched her out.

"What, did she get a little too minxy for you?" she teased, pouring another bag of candy into a bowl.

He smirked. "I doubt such a state exists. I just told her of her pregnancy, and she fainted in my arms."

She paused, staring at him for a long minute, and she leaned back into Strom as he wrapped his arms around her. "Solok tells the truth, _k'diwa_," the doctor muttered in her ear. "I scanned her."

"Well, yeah, you told me at the station...never thought she'd be the one to faint over something like that."

"Do you think you would faint if I told you you are also pregnant? I want to be prepared."

She turned around in his arms. "Well, that explains the stomachaches...I've always wanted a baby." She felt tears prick her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him with all her might. He breathed out sharply and nuzzled her neck with an aggressiveness that took her aback, and she pulled away, staring into his eyes.

"So when do we leave for Vulcan?"

Solok put Faith over his shoulder. "Now."

Ammie looked up at Strom, who nodded.

"Faith and I already packed."

Strom raised an eyebrow. "What of the party?"

She grinned. "Beth and the boys owe us one...they'll clean up." She jumped into his arms. "Beam us out of here. I'm ready to head home with my new family."

_**A/N: We hope you enjoyed this fall special, and we hope to make this Holiday Special thing an official thing. Hang around, dear reader, because Christmas is just around the corner...**_


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